High school Life BuffyVerse Style
by CarlyJx
Summary: Angel being the most popular guy in school falls for a pretty blond but the problem? She doest belong in his world. Will their love conquer all? Loads of bitchyness, cheesy chat up lines and everything else High school has to offer
1. The Bet

_[A/N: Has swearing in it. Be warned.]_

A Typical High School Story 

_ "High School: the mouse race to prepare you for the rat race"_

Chapter 1

"Angel? Angel!" Screamed a young girl, but it was no use. The handsome man she was shouting at, well his attention had been stolen by a young red haired in an even smaller skirt.

The young cheerleader sighed.

"Angel! I am sick of this. Look at me!"

Angel turned his head to the brunette. She was beautiful. Her skin was blemish free, and her hair flowed past her shoulders.

"We are over!" With one snap of her finger she turned to the crowd of girls surrounding her. "Come on girls."

"Cordi, wait."

"No! I've given you everything, and you just ignore me, except when you want something. I am sick of it! I can do so much better!" And with that, she had stormed off.

"Baby, you know you're going to be back." Angel called after her

"In your dreams"

"You know I'll be in yours". He winked.

Cordelia looked disgusted.

Angel O'Neil was used to a public breakup with his on and off again girlfriend, Cordelia. People would say they were the perfect couple. He was the star quarter back, and she, head cheerleader, but it would take more than perfect for Angel's eyes to stop wondering.

* * *

"Harmony, why did I ever date that jerk?" Cordelia asked the pretty blonde to her right.

The answer was easy.

"Well he is the most popular boy in the school, he's a senior, and a quarter back."

Cordelia thought for a brief moment. There was no telling when she had Angel would get back together, but she knew she was going to make a point. He couldn't keep treating her this way.

"Maybe." Cordelia then turned to Anya, another one of her friends.

"Make a list of all the popular single guys. Actually they don't have to be single, as long as their popular, and will get Angel going crazy. The winter dance is soon and I need a date."

"Aren't you going with Angel?" Anya asked.

"it's time he learnt that a girl as hot as I am, is in high demand."

Cordelia had never been modest, she had no reason to be. Her father was a successful business man, and her mother was a lady of leisure. Anything she wanted, she would have, even if it belonged to someone else.

"Your Cordelia Chase. If they have a date, then they'll ditch their date." Harmony giggled.

* * *

"So what you going to do now, Angel?"

Angel was tall dark and handsome. Every girl wanted to date him, and the guys, they wanted to be him.

"Just wait and let them come to me. It's like fishing Gunn, only I don't need any bait."

Charles Gunn was Angel's best friend. They were so different, yet had so much in common.

"Get real man."

"I'm serious bro."

Just then, a girl with black greasy hair, and thick round glasses walked by. Angel saw this as his chance to shine.

"Hey there beautiful."

The girl chuckled and smiled back, showing off a mouth full of braces.

Gunn frowned.

"That was way too easy. Look at her."

Angel shrugged. Gunn could pick any girl out from a crowd, and their reaction would be the same.

"Man, I've never met anyone like you." Gunn shook his head.

"If you've got it, you've just got it, and hell I have plenty of it."

"What is it?"

"I can have any girl I want."

"Any girl?"

"Anyone." Angel confirmed scanning the crowd. There were only three things on the seniors mind, girls, sex, and football.

"You know your my bro, and there's no disrespect here, but I don't think so."

"You real?" Angel raised his perfectly plucked brow. "Charles Gunn, I think your challenging me."

Gunn smirked. This was going to bring his best friend back down to reality.

"Damn right I am. Just one thing, I get to choose the girl."

"This is going to be way too easy. What are the rules?"

"You have to go all the way with whoever I chose, and I'll need video evidence."

Angel smiled. That wasn't an issue for him. He had been with more than enough girls who had been willing to record themselves.

Walking out of the school grounds the saw many people, but one girl caught Gunn's eye,

She was slim with jet black hair, and a ring through her nose. Her top was black with a skull on it, matching her black skin tight leather pants. Angel noticed Gunn looking and quickly interrupted.

"Way to easy." It was back in his sophomore year that Faith took him home after a few too many at the bronze. Neither of them spoke after it.

Quickly dismissing Angel's past antics, Gunn found the perfect girl.

"Buffy Summer's."

"Buffy who?"

"Over there." Gunn pointed at a group of three.

One of them stood out straight away. Her blonde hair shone in the sunlight, while her emerald eyes twinkled. Her body was in great shape.

"No way! Isn't she the chick that burnt down her last school?"

"You said anyone." Gunn shrugged, happy that his friend had lost all confidence.

"Yeah I meant anyone who isn't a deranged psycho. I mean how do I know she won't stab me?"

"You don't."

With that said, Gunn was gone. Leaving Angel to his challenge.

"Just great." Angel whispered to himself sarcastically

* * *

"So Willow, your coming over tonight yeah? Helping me with my history assignment." Buffy asked the red haired.

"Totally. I know how much help you need." She laughed

. Xander noticed Angel walking their way, well more strutting. One thing he would say, the guy had swag.

"Oh look out. Jerk alert, twelve o clock." Xander said bitterly.

"You know sometimes, I think you're jealous of him." Buffy teased.

"Jealous of him please, why would I be jealous of him?"

"Well he's popular, rich, good with the lady's and well just everything you're not."

"Jeeze confidence boost Buff, and in case you haven't noticed you're hardly queen B yourself"

"Yes but the difference is I'm not jealous of Cordelier and her minions"

"Neither am I"

"So why have you got an, I hate Cordelier and Angel fan club then" Willow asked.

Xander's face went bright red. Why couldn't his friends understand why he hated them so much? I mean they have only made their life hell since they came to high school, and everyone else's life hell that wasn't cool or popular. All of a sudden Buffy tripped over a loose brick and fell flat on her face scattering her books all over the place.

Perfect, Angel thought to himself seeing Buffy fall. He quickly ran over and gathered her books while offering his hand. She took it.

"Uh thanks." She said red faced. Panicking was an understatement. Angel O'Neil had just seen her fall over. They had never said two words to each other before. He had never given any of their hang the time of day, which made her wonder why all of a sudden he was there now.

"My pleasure." He replied helping her to her feet.

Willow and Xander stood there in shock, they couldn't believe what they just seen. Just as Buffy walked away Angel ran after her.

"Um ... are you new here, because I haven't seen you around before"

"No I've been here awhile now." Buffy replied

"Oh you sure? Because someone as hot as you, I would have noticed before."

"Well I tend to avoid people like you." Buffy said coldly, and walked back to her t friends leaving Angel alone and speechless.

Angel couldn't believe what had happened. No one had done that before. He was beginning the think that this would be more difficult than he though.

"So what was all that about?" Willow asked exited.

"Yeah Buff what did Mr I'm so popular everyone should bow down want?" Xander said.

"I really don't know."

This was going to bug her all day now.


	2. Playing Games

Chapter 2

Buffy, Willow and Xander walked together to their next class, history. It was Buffy's weakest subject and the one she had no interest in what so ever. They got to the class and quietly took their seats as the class had already begun.

"Nice of the three of you to join us" The teacher said noticing their lateness. Neither of them said anything but Willows face went bright red. She didn't like getting into trouble, believed it would be bad for her college application. "Now that were all here could you please open your books to page two hundred and fifty four and answer questions one to ten. Full answers please and I would like to remind you if you don't finish in the next hour then you'll have to finish it at home" The whole classed rolled their eyes, Miss. Becket was such a pain in the ass when she wanted to be. Cordelia sat at the back of the class with a nail file in one hand and a mirror in the other. She carefully swayed the file over her nails like an expert until a certain smile caught her eye. Riley Finn sat two desks from the pretty cheerleader and was giving her a flirty smile. Harmony picked up on him trying to flirt with her best friend so she nudged her gently.

"He's so into you" She frowned.

"Tell Anya we might not need that list after all" Cordelia smiled back at Riley flashing her perfect pearl teeth. Riley was good looking, rich and popular just like Angel but they both hated each other even though they played for the same football team.

"Cordelia no! You cannot go there, he's such a jerk: that's all he cares about is money, football, sex and well that's it. Oh and he's such a Angel wanna be I mean look at his hair he started to spike it up a week after Angel started spiking it up, the only different is his hair is lighter and Angel's is way nicer"

"Beggar's can't be choosers and besides I'm in this mess because of Angel so what hurts more then going out with an ex's enemy. He's going to be so pissed off he'll come running back to me"

"What if he doesn't?" Harmony said quietly. Cordelia heard what her blonde friend had said and instantly put her hand up to her face

"Don't even say such a thing. Me and Angel have been together since..." Cordelia stopped to think for a minuet "Well ever. He just needs some time to realise what he's lost. Who else is there Harm? I want the best and since I'm teaching the best a lesson I have to have second best, even if second best is a perverted jerk besides the only reason you don't want me to go out with him is because you have this thing for him"

"That is so not true" Harmony could feel her cheeks getting hotter. Never in her life would she dream of doing something to hurt or offend Cordelia. If she did it would be an instant dismissal from the cheerleading squad and social suicide but when her best friend was thinking about going out with Riley it unleashed the green monster in her. Harmony and Riley had a thing nearly three years ago. He asked her to a party and they shared the night together. For Harmony it was the most amazing night of her life, the night she had lost her virginity but for Riley it was just another thing he could brag about. Since that night when Riley said jump Harmony would ask how high.

"No talking" Miss. Becket shouted looking at Cordelia and Harmony. Harmony felt so relived, she had no idea what she had saved her from. The bell rang and everyone packed up ignoring what Miss. Becket was saying.

"God thank god that's over. I don't think I got one question right." Buffy said putting her last book into her beige bag.

"I think I got them all right, we'll see tomorrow anyway, don't worry to much Buff you can't have done that bad" The two girls walked out of the class room with Xander running after them

"Hey, wait up"

Cordelia swung her black leather Prada bag over her shoulder still starring at Riley.

"Cordy you don't have to lower yourself" Harmony was now pleading with her best friend

"I can not be single. I can not! Are you listening? The dance is less then a month away and I have a perfect Armani dress but no date. I would love to go with Angel but I can't so Riley will have to do." Cordelia walked away leaving Harmony speechless. Cordelia had never spoken to her like that of all their years of friendship.

"Cordelia!" Riley shouted across the long red and yellow corridor. Cordelia turned her head to look at who was calling her. She instantly stopped and waiting till Riley walked over. "So I heard that you and Angel finished" Riley said

"He was just so self-centred. Everything was about him, I need someone who can fore fill my needs as will as his own" She said suggested. Riley was even more interested after she said this

"So I take it you haven't got a date for the dance right?"

"Are you asking me to the dance Riley Finn?" Cordelia didn't want to admit she didn't have a date so decided it was best to avoid the question

"Do you want me to ask you?"

"Ill have to think about it because I do have other offers so you'll just have to wait and see" Cordelia walked five steps, came to a stop, turned around and said "Oh and don't make other plans" and walked off again. Riley looked like he had just struck gold. He had more o less landed a date with the most popular girl in the school and Angel's ex so he could enjoy himself and get his own back at the same time. Riley had never liked Angel but it all started in middle school when Angel stole Riley's girlfriend off him. Riley started a fight with Angel but Angel came out of it better off. Since that day Riley had trained, joined the football team and was obsessed with his looks to one day get his own back on the guy that stole everything from him.

"Angel my man!" Gunn shouted slamming his dinner tray on the table. He stretched his hand out and Angel mirrored his action until both of their fists met.

"S'appening?" Angel asked

"Haven't you heard? Man you going to be so pissed. Riley asked Cordelia to the dance"

"What!" Angel felt anger burning up inside him. He wasn't that bothered about loosing Cordelia but for her to go to the dance with Riley.

"I know. That dude seriously wants to get you back, anyway how's it going with Buffy Summers?"

"She blanked me. I don't understand I helped her out and she threw it back in my face normally girls are like "ooh Angel take me back to your house" and all that shit but this is on ice or something" Angel was still thinking as he finished his sentence. Gunn chuckled so Angel came out of his trance and punched him in the arm

"Given up?"

"No way. I told you I can have anyone I want. I just have to go all out."

"What you going to do about Cordy and Riley?" Gunn asked digging his fork into a sponge green thing.

"If she wants to play that game then I'll just have to invite Harmony over for some one on one if you know what I mean" Angel winked and Gunn chuckled again

"Don't that girl ever learn" He said. Angel and Harmony hooked up more then once and every time he never called.

"Doesn't look like it does it"


	3. Charming The Best Friend First

Chapter 3

Rain poured down in the little town of Sunnydale, Buffy Summer's watched from her bed room window how the specs of water formed puddles until the phone rung. She rolled over her bed to answer it. "Hello?" Buffy said

"Guess who just rung me?" The voice at the other line said

"Willow?"

"This is Willow!"

"Thought so, so who rung you?"

"Angel" Willow said in a girly giggle

"Angel O'Neil rang you?" Buffy was so shocked "What did he want?"

"To find out about you" Willow couldn't handle her excitement she was already at a high pitch girly screech.

"What, why?"

"Isn't it obvious, he likes you. He was asking me all these things about you like what do you like to do, your favourite food and then finally he gave me his number to give to you"

"This is the same Angel who has a on and off relationship with Cordelia Chase and is self obsessed isn't it"

"And totally gorgeous! Come on Buffy he is fine, no better then fine, he's perfect"

"I thought you hated him?" Buffy asked suspiciously

"No, that's Xander I just go along with it to make him feel happy. I know you're in your room smiling I mean who wouldn't be. Even I would be chuffed if he rung you asking about me and I've been obsessed with the same guy since kinder garden"

"Why don't you just tell him, maybe he feels the same way as you" Buffy felt sympathy for her best friend. She's been in love with Xander since the first time Buffy met her but Xander has this whole thing for Buffy which of course he'll never admit to.

"There's no point, that's all he talks about is you. Buffy is so amazing, Buffy this, Buffy that" Willow was now ranting which made Buffy feel a bit awkward

"Jeeze thanks Will"

"Oh sorry. So Angel what you going to do, come on you have to give him a call"

"Well he is good looking"

"Good looking that's an understatement, he drives a hummer! A hummer! His parents are like owners of this big ass law firm in L.A. Have you seen the size of his house!"

"Yeah but he's a prick like try's it on with everyone in a skirt kind of prick"

"Normally I would be there with you bitching about his total lack of respect for women but he get's an exception." Willow hated people being disrespectful and making inappropriate comments about the female sex. Buffy frowned, her best friend had just let go of everything she stood for, for a pretty face

"Will! See, one phone call and he's got you wrapped round his little finger. That's why I don't like him, or Cordelia or anyone in that click."

"You don't like her because she has him and everything else. You don't like him because he can get away with anything he wants. I'm not going to argue with you about it over the phone; I have his number call me if you want it. See you later" With that Willow hung up. Buffy's head was all over the place, she wanted the number for some reason but she could never ring him, it would make her a hypocrite. Buffy spent the next hour thinking what about her and Willow's phone call. She rummaged through her wardrobe picking out clothes. Finally she decided on a short black skirt, candy pink tank top with black heels that have a tie up bow going around the ankle. Her hair was dead straight and still warm from the straightens she just ran through her hair.

"Mom?"

"Yes hunny?" Joyce summer's called back

"I'm going to the bronze ok?"

"Make sure your back by eleven" The bronze was a local club, the only club worth going to in Sunnydale and the best bit they let anyone in. At the bronze Cordelia was already half drunk, shaking her ass on the dance floor. Buffy walked straight passed the bouncer's and into the club, Willow and Xander sat at their usual spot with books out in front of them. None of the three drank alcohol they just went to the bronze for a good time.

"Buffy!" Xander waved to Buffy as she came over and grabbed a chair next to him.

"Thought anymore about what I said?" Willow asked smiling.

"No" Buffy couldn't look her friend in the eye because she knew it was a lie. It was all Buffy could think about.

"What did you say?" Xander asked curiously

"Nothing" Both girls said so suddenly it sounded rehearsed. Xander looked from Willow to Buffy suspiciously, they were hiding something from him. Buffy's eyes were all over the club but Willow knew who she was looking for. Willow smiled and chuckled to herself she could read Buffy like a book.

"He's not here yet" She said smirking. Right on queue Angel walked into the Bronze with Harmony by his side. Buffy frowned and so did Cordelia.

"Harmony, darling" Cordelia said kissing her cheek, blanking Angel she took Harmony by the hand and practically dragged her to the dance floor "What the fuck are you playing at?" She roared. Harmony now had the courage to stick up for herself.

"I'm hear with Angel and we hooked up, in fact all those times you finished we hooked up oh and when you were still together we sometimes hooked up" Harmony grinned with pride. Cordelia's face fell, no one had stood up to her like that, usually Harmony worshiped every word she said and now she turned on her.

"Is this to do with Riley? I'm going out with Riley so you thought you would have a go at Angel? Is that it?"

"Get over yourself me and Angel, were in love. It looks like im the one better of" For a moment Cordelia was once in her life speechless, until she looked over and saw Angel chatting up a pretty blonde. She laughed and turned Harmony in the direction of the two.

"Love is it?" She chuckled walking of. Harmony ran out of the bronze crying her heart out. One in her life she was the one with the best boyfriend, she was the bitchy one that was in control.

"Buffy isn't it?" Angel asked. He was wearing a black shirt with light blue loose jeans which really complemented his shape.

"I think you already know seeing as you rung my best friend up" Buffy said. Xander looked at Willow as if to say why you didn't tell me.

"Can you blame me? I had to find out about you. You just turn up hear with the whole ice queen act and totally blank me"

"I think we'll leave you both to it, we'll be over there" Willow said pointing at a table nearer to the bar. She picked up her books and took Xander by the arm.

"So can I get you a drink?" Angel asked.

"Sure, I'll have a coke" Buffy replied

"A coke?" Angel raised an eye brow "It is a bar you know?" Buffy giggled nervously, she had never drank before and had no idea of what the names for drinks were

"Ok then I'll have a sex on the beach" Buffy said. It was the only alcoholic drink she could think of, they had it all the time on the films. Angel nodded and headed towards the bar.


	4. Drunk For The First Time

Chapter 4

It had been an hour since Buffy had her first cocktail and she was now sitting at the bar with people she didn't even know drinking tequila shot's.

"Ill have five more please" She slurred. The bartender looked her up and down deciding whether or not to serve but from a distance he could see Angel nodding at him so he turned around, grabbed five small glasses with a red rocket painted on them and filled them up with tequila. Buffy took the first glass, picked it up, threw it in her mouth, slammed the glass down on the table and sucked on a lemon. The people beside her laughed and clapped as she did this. Angel was dancing with the red haired girl; he had had his eye on her for a few days now. The girl whispered something to him.

"Maybe another time" Angel told her looking over to Buffy. She couldn't stand with out gripping something to help her. It was perfect. To good to be true. If Buffy wasn't going to play the game then he had to get her some other way and his plan had already been set into action an hour ago. Cordelia waved as Riley entered the bronze.

"Hey" He shouted over the music.

"Hello" She replied looking him up and down. He was wearing a lemon top and jeans.

"Can I get you a drink?" Riley asked

"Sure get me something I'll like" Cordelia said. Riley walked towards the bar trying to think what she would like, as he got neared he saw Buffy falling off a bar stool. He ran over to lift her up. Her long blond hair was all knotted and one of the sleeves of her pink top was resting just below her shoulders but she still looked stunning.

"Wow. Steady on" Riley said trying to stop Buffy from falling to the left of him.

"Hey, aren't you in my school?" Buffy asked breaking every word up.

"Riley Finn" Riley stood Buffy up and smiled at her.

"I know who you are but you don't know who I am and that's the problem with you popular people. You all think you're too good to hang around with us people who don't own car's or look as good or have designer clothes." Buffy was poking Riley in the chest as she was talking.

"I think you've had a bit much to drink ..."

"Buffy. My name is Buffy, Buffy Summers" Buffy stumbled but caught herself on the bar.

"Well it's nice to meet you Buffy Summers. Do you want to go sit down or something?" Riley asked noticing Buffy couldn't even stand straight. Buffy furiously shook her head and cupped her hand and brought it do her mouth. Riley laughed "Another drink?" Buffy nodded "I don't think so somehow. Who's bought you all these drinks?"

"Angel" Riley looked to Angel who was still dancing with the red haired, well dancing was a loose term she was practically straddling him. Riley wondered to himself why Angel was putting so much effort into this girl. She wasn't popular, she wasn't rich, and she didn't seem like a slut. So what was it? Buffy saw the confusion on his face "I think he wants to get me drunk and take advantage of me. What a twat. I always said he was a twat but my friend yeah? Willow, well he rang her yeah and was asking her all this stuff about me and I don't know why"

"You can't go home in that state. Why don't you stay at mine tonight?" Riley smiled to himself. He was so pleased; he was going to make sure that everything Angel had he had first.

"Go home with you?" Buffy might have been really drunk but she still knew what people where like and she knew exactly what Riley was like. Truth was she preferred Angel to Riley and that was saying something.

"Why not? There is no way you can go home like that and my parents wont be back tonight" Buffy made a face "I have a spare room you can stay in there, nothing will happen"

"I don't know. You might not have known who I am but boy; I know exactly who you are and what your like"

"Look if you want to go home like that and get grounded or what ever then fine by me, I'm offering you a way out, it's up to you" Buffy skipped past Riley. "Where are you going?" He asked

"I thought we were going back to your place?"

"Let me say goodbye to my friends then. Stay here" Riley pulled Buffy towards the chair's and sat her down then walked over to where Cordelia was dancing with Anya.

"Where's my drink?" Cordelia asked annoyed.

"Uh... Look, I'm really sorry but one of my mates has had a bit to much to drink and I have to take them home" Riley scratched his head. Cordelia was really trying to hide how annoyed she was but when she saw Buffy rolling off the chair she realised who the drunken friend was. It was the same girl Angel was speaking to earlier.

"Cant someone else take her home?" Cordelia was making it obvious that she didn't care what happened to Buffy and she put Riley in a very difficult position but he knew what he had to do.

"I'm sorry I really am. When I came here and saw you I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get to know you better and I really am sad to go so early without buying you a drink or anything so I was wondering if you would like to go for dinner sometime. Someplace quieter. Just you and me?" Cordelia's face lit up and she had suddenly forgotten all about Angel, Harmony and Buffy.

"Sure, I think that will be good. Call me?"

"Yeah" Riley was just going to walk back to the beautiful blond when Cordelia spoke again.

"I don't go to anywhere that do anything more then a hundred calories and no carbs either" Riley looked at her like she was mad but thought it would be easier if he just agreed, so he nodded his head and gave her a light kiss on the cheek before walking back to Buffy. Xander looked around for Buffy to see if she was alright but couldn't find her.

"Where's Buffy?" He asked Willow. Willow was sick of hearing about Buffy so just sighed and pointed to where she was laying.

"Look at the state of her. I bet that was his plan, to get her drunk and when she's drunk he would take what he wanted. Hey what's he doing?" Xander noticed Riley walking over to her so he instantly got up and power walked to where they were talking. "Are you alright Buff?" He asked

"Xander!" Buffy jumped on him.

"Where are you going?" Riley stood there waiting to go, a bit annoyed that someone he didn't even know was getting involved

"This young man by here is taking me home to look after me" Buffy said. Xander looked at Riley suspiciously, he had an idea of what Riley meant by looking after.

"Finn, what are you doing?" Angel had now come over to see what was going on. Riley had one arm around Buffy's waist and the other around her shoulder trying to keep her up.

"I'm taking her home, she's had to much to drink and we all know what your like with the girls that go home with you" Riley replied.

"Better then you are." Angel snarled back.

"Look none of you are taking her home, she's coming back with me" Xander took charge and snatched Buffy from Riley meanwhile Willow came behind Angel.

"I thought you actually liked her. My opinion of you had changed completely but I know now that your just the same, you only have one interest. Come on Buffy your coming home with us" Willow said pulling Xander to the exit. Angel looked really angry at Riley but he didn't care, Angel didn't have her so he was happy and now he could go back to Cordelia. The bronze door opened and Buffy was taking a load of gibberish to Xander, he just looked at her laughing, him and Willow.

"You don't get it though. I love you so much" Buffy said to Xander. His eyes widened and eh was about to lean in to kiss her when she carried on. "Your like one of the girls" Xander back away a bit, his eyes saddened. Willow almost felt a little sad for him, she knew what it was like someone saying that, countless times he had said it to her and every time she felt like he did. But on the other hand he finally knew how she felt. "I need a piss!" Buffy shouted waving her arms. Xander let go of her and she ran to an alley.

"Don't take it personally look at the state of her for gods sake" Willow rubbed Xander's arm up and down

"That's all she thinks of me as. I saved her from doing anything stupid tonight and I realise that's al she will ever think of me as. One of the girls. Xander Harris just one of the girls"

"Yeah and Willow Rosenberg just one of the boys" Willow said under her breath, loud enough for Xander to hear but quiet enough for him not to understand what she had said.

"What was that?" Xander asked distractively. He was trying to decide whether or not to go check on Buffy; she was gone for about five minuets

"Nothing" Willow suddenly said. Buffy came back skipping to where her friends stood.

"I want to get something to eat come on"

"Buff its gone midnight, we have to get you back to Will's"

"I don't want to go back with Willow. I want to have some fun." Xander tried to grab Buffy's arm but she pushed him away. "Get off me! I don't want to go back with you"

"You have to. Your Mom's going to freak if she finds out you've been drinking." Willow was trying to reason with Buffy.

"My Mom knows?" Buffy clasped her hand to her mouth. "No! My Mom can't know!"

"Well you have to come back to mine." Buffy nodded and marched down the alley she went down before with Xander running after her and pointing her into a different direction

"This way he laughed"


	5. The Morning After

Chapter 5

Buffy woke the next day with her head feeling like it was going to explode. She tried to get up from the blow up bed but fell back down.

"Buffy" Willow sang into Buffy's ear. "Buffy, School" Buffy groaned as she felt a strong urge to hurl but fought it.

"Err now I know what a hangover is" Buffy moaned finally removing the covers to get up. "What time is it?" She asked still trying to stop herself from being sick.

"Eight twenty three exactly. Come on we have school" Buffy noticed the cream and beige patterned wall paper and wooden flooring, she wasn't in her how.

"Oh god" Buffy exclaimed. "My memory's starting to come back and I rather it didn't"

"You did do a lot of uh ..." Willow paused trying to fin d a word to describe her behaviour "Un-Buffy-like-things" Buffy's face dropped.

"I can't go! I can't! How can I face everyone? I can't!" Buffy panicked but Willow stood there with her arms crossed giggling to herself.

"You're going to be fine but not if you go like that." Buffy turned around to face the mirror and realised she still had her black skirt and pink top on and last nights make up.

"Will I'm never going to get ready in time"

"Yes you will, I'll make sure of it" Willow was acting like a fairy god mother, she opened the wardrobe and threw a plain white three quarter sleeves top onto the bed and light blue jeans then she went into the bathroom to get some cleansing wipes for her friend.

"Do you think they'll fit?" Buffy asked holding the top up to her top half

"Sure, we're like the same size. I'm going to wait downstairs come down when your ready" Willow left Buffy to get changed.

Gunn pulled up outside Angel's massive white house. It blue double doors at the front and long white windows. It had four floors, indoor swimming pool, outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gym and so much more. Gunn beeped the horn of his silver Lexus RX Sports Utility. Angel appeared from the blue glass door's wearing jeans, a lime green top and very expensive designer trainers no doubt. He opened the car door and instantly held his fist out which Gunn tapped with his own.

"Yo dude, sup?" Gunn asked

"Man I screwed up yesterday. At the bronze I had her, she couldn't even walk but I went to dance with this red haired, now she was fine" Gunn raised his eye brown at Angel "Yeah back to the story I knew I should have just sealed the deal and taken her back but something at the back of my head was telling me not to so I carried on dancing with the red haired until I seen Riley going to speak with her. Man I freaked. What is that guy's problem so I went over and then was about to take her home when her friends came over and as you can guess they weren't very happy. Now after all that time I spent trying to get on her good side has all been wasted because now she thinks I'm a jerk"

"You might as well pay up now." Gunn laughed pulling the hand brake up as he came to a red light.

"No way! This isn't over until I get her in my bed."

"It isn't going to happen, face it she's to clever for you" Gunn grinned

"What's that suppose to mean?" Angel asked hurt by his friends comment

"The girl's you usually go for are to stupid to even realize their being used and when they do they don't care because they've just had Angel O'Neil. She's not shallow, she can't be, she hangs around with that Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg."

"So what? She's too good for me now? No one is too good for me, in fact it's the other way around. I am way out of her league so she should be lucky I'm even considering her" Angel raised his head hoping he sounded more confident then he felt

"Your head get's bigger everyday" Gunn laughed before turning the radio on.

Cordelia got into school extra early as she had cheerleading practice. She faked a smile at Harmony who was running out of the changing room to where she was at the top of the pyramid. "Cradle" She called down. The girl that was holding her foot pushed it up so Cordelia jumped backwards into the arms of two male cheerleaders. "Work on the tone" She said ungratefully after getting up.

"You look great" Harmony said to Cordelia. She still felt guilty about last night and was trying to win Cordelia back but Cordelia wasn't one to forgive that easily.

"Don't I always" Cordelia snapped. Harmony held back the tears, her best friend had never been so cold to her. "Harmony's on top of the pyramid now" Cordelia shouted at the squad with an evil grin.

"Really?" Harmony asked smiling like a fool.

"You've been through so much, being used like a dumb slut I think you deserve it" Cordelia stroked the back of Harmony's long blond hair "Now quick better get up there" Before Harmony started to climb the pyramid Cordelia went over to the girl that was going to be holding Harmony "Drop her" She said

"What? I can't. What if she breaks something?" The girl asked so shocked that Cordelia would even say such a thing

"Good" Cordelia smiled. The young girl searched into Cordelia's eyes for a change of heart but found none. "I can kick your ass of this squad in a heartbeat. If you still want to be hear then drop the bitch" The young girl nodded obediently knowing full well that Cordelia would ruin her life if she refused. "Go" She shouted after everyone got into their place. Harmony started clapping her hands at the top of the pyramid whilst chanting

"Go, Go, Go, Sunnydale" Before she could even finish her sentence the girl holding her foot let go and she fell backwards onto the hard gym floor. Her back was aching.

"Ahhh! My wrist! I've done something to my wrist" Harmony screamed. Cordelia looked at her smiling while the other cheerleaders ran over to see what the problem was.

"Can you move it?" Anya asked taking a closer look at the injury

"No it hurts so bad I think it's broken"

"It's just a sprain" Anya said after forcing Harmony to move it. Anya had been trained in first aid because her mother was one of those over protected people and wanted Anya to be trained so if anything would happen then she would know what to do. Cordelia rolled her eyes at Harmony, she could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"I guess we need a replacement cheerleader then" Cordelia smiled. Anya got up to face Cordelia

"No I don't think so, it's not that bad it should be healed within two weeks. Harmony looked hopefully at Cordelia but she just ignored the look

"Two weeks! Too long! We need a replacement"

"But …"

"I said WE NEED A REPLACEMNT! Am I speaking to myself here?" Cordelia screamed going off in a huff. Anya immediately followed looking back at Harmony's disappointed glare.

"Her wrist would have healed in two weeks so why do we need a replacement?" Anya asked feeling bad for Harmony. Cordelia turned around to look Anya in the eye.

"It's what happens to those who get on my bad side. Do you want to be on my bad side Anyanka?"Anya shook her head "That's exactly what I thought, now come along and please no more comments about Harmony"

"Yeah sorry."

"What do we have first?"

"History"

"With that blond skank?" Cordelia asked bitterly

"What one?"

"I can't remember the names for every blond skank but the one that was at the bronze yesterday throwing herself at everyone" Anya thought back to what she could remember of last night.

"Buffy summers? Yeah she's in our history class; she sits in front of you"

"This should be fun" Cordelia laughed walking into the history class. People were already in their seats but the teacher was no where to be seen neither was Buffy. "Perfect she isn't hear yet" Cordelia had another evil glint in her eyes, Anya noticed this.

"What are you doing?" She asked watching Cordelia take the chewing gum she had been chewing on for the last hour out and put it on Buffy's seat.

"Ill show that bitch to try and turn Angel against me. We are meant to be, forever and always."

"Aren't you two finished?"

"If she's in the picture its going to be harder to make him jealous" Anya just nodded she was used to Cordelia being a bitch so nothing surprised her anymore except for the stunt she pulled with Harmony, her and Harmony were like two peas in a pod, both stuck up bitches.


	6. Introduction To Guilt

Chapter 6

Buffy and Willow finally got into school, Xander was already waiting for them outside.

"What are you doing? Class has already started; your not skipping it are you?" Willow asked shocked that someone could even think such a thing. Buffy stood by Willow's side laughing, every time she skipped a class she would have a massive lecture from Willow about how important school is and how it plays a massive part in your future.

"And get the Willow speech? I don't think so." Xander said mockingly, Willow hit him playfully in the arm. "Hey, what was that for?"

"The Willow speech? Excuse me but I've only given you the 'Willow speech' once"

"No trust me you've given it more then once" Buffy said "We better get going otherwise you'll be giving your self the Willow speech" The three of them walked through the glass doors of Sunnydale High and into their history class.

"You're beginning to make a habit of this Ms Summers." The history teacher sighed. Buffy carried on walking to her seat, Miss Becket really didn't like Buffy, Willow and Xander were late too and but she choose to ignore them. Willow raised her hand. "Yes?"

"What are we doing?"

"Well if you were here when I was going out the assignment you would have known wouldn't you Ms Rosenberg" Willow said nothing as the teacher went back to eating her apple and reading her magazine.

"Page three hundred and five" Riley whispered to her from the opposite table. Willow moved her lips to say thank you.

"Is it me or has everyone gone mad?" Cordelia asked Anya who now sat in Harmony's seat.

"What do you mean?" Anya replied like she had no interest what Cordelia was saying.

"Riley talking to Willow, she is the biggest geek going. See, once one popular person starts talking to one geek the rest of them think its ok. Mark my words they'll all be trying out for the cheerleading squad next!" Anya buried her face into her book to try and stop her self from laughing, if Cordelia could be so pathetic some times. "What's he saying to her?" She asked trying to listen but was at the back of the class and they were whispering. "She's trying to get him to ask her to the dance isn't she? That little sneaky bitch! Look at the way she's looking at her its disgusting. He had no interest in her what so ever, I mean if you had the choice me or her who you choose?" Before Anya could answer Cordelia spoke again. "Well obviously me. It looks like her mother chose her clothes."

"It's Willow Rosenberg Cordy, she wouldn't know how to flirt with a boy never mind trying to get them to ask her to the dance. I don't think he's her type anyway" Anya said stating the obvious but Cordelia wouldn't know obvious if it had neon flashing lights spelling it out.

"What do you mean he's not her type? He's everyone's type" Anya snorted so loud that everyone turned around to look at her. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"That noise you made, what is it suppose to mean?"

"Well Riley isn't exactly my type"

"Yeah but we all know what you type is" Cordelia said. Anya looked at her for a minuet trying to work out if she was suggesting something.

"And what is my type?" Anya asked curiously

"Well I know that your a ... Well your a ... you know"

"No I don't know, why don't you tell me"

"Lesbian" Cordelia whispered so quietly she could barely hear her. Although Anya appreciated her keeping it quiet Anya wasn't a lesbian.

"What? No I'm not" Anya said defensively

"There's no need to be in denial, I've known for some times now, why do you think I haven't invited you round of a sleepover" Cordelia was trying to be sympathetic in her own self centred way.

"I'm not a lesbian Cordy."

"It's totally fine, I support you"

"I'm not a lesbian" Anya was getting tired with repeating her self now.

"Anya, I've seen the way you look at me, that look is a look more then friendship. You're in love with me but I'm sorry..."

"I think you should quit while you're ahead. I am not in love with you. I am not a lesbian, I'm attracted to men." Anya said, Cordelia could be so big headed sometimes, she thought everyone loved her. Anya didn't really like Cordelia but she had nothing in common with the rest of the students. She was rich and her mother expected her to be a cheerleader just like she had so there wasn't really much choice. All these years she put up with Cordelia's bitching and moaning and for what? To please her mother that was always in another country. She had grown up with nannies, no memory of her, her mother and her father going out as a family. They never did anything like that. Anya's dad was a very successful business man.

"But you've never had a boyfriend"

"Yes I have."

"Yeah like one ages ago" Cordelia snarled, she had everything worked out, how could Anya not be gay?

"I don't have the time for dating, its just not important to me it doesn't mean I'm a lesbian"

"But your a ..." Cordelia said trying to speak with her hands

"Just say it, nothing can sound more ridiculous then what you just said."

"You're a virgin" She whispered. Anya didn't get why she was whispering, it wasn't anything to be ashamed of.

"What? Because I'm not a slut and throw myself at the first loser that wants a piece of my ass I'm a lesbian?" Anya said coldly. Cordelia decided then that it was best to drop the subject, mostly because that's exactly what she had done and only now she felt ashamed.

Buffy was concentrating very hard on the same question she had been stuck on for the last quarter of an hour when all of a sudden a piece of scrunched paper appeared on her desk. She looked over her shoulder to see who had thrown the paper but everyone had their head down trying to complete their work. She unscrunched the piece of paper and red the message that was inside. SORRY she red. The note could have been from anyone but the sheepish look on the young man behind her gave it away. The bell rang furiously and Buffy gathered her stuff and power walked out the door, the one thing she hoped wouldn't happen did. Angel O'Neil was walking behind her trying to catch up.

"Buffy wait up!" He called. Willow and Xander were behind Angel trying to give Buffy the moral support she deserved. Buffy came to a stop by her locker only because she had too to get her books.

"What do you want?" She asked viciously with Willow and Xander by her side. Xander had his elbow on Buffy's shoulder.

"I wan to apologise for last night, it wasn't what you thought. Yes I did offer to take you back to my place but not for what you think" Angel said trying to convince his self more than anyone.

"So why did you get her drunk?" Willow said protectively of her friends. Xander stood by Buffy's side all smug.

"I know how it looks.."

"It's exactly how it looks" Xander butted in.

"Who was asking you Harris? Do you want to be send home in another ambulance?" Angel stepped closer to Xander and wiped the smug grin off his face.

"Another ambulance?" Buffy asked. No one said anything. "Angel why don't you back off and leave me and my friends alone"

"Buffy wait ..."

"No. I've had enough. I was wrong, you know for a second I thought you were so much more then a vain stuck up slut but I was wrong" Angel felt a strong feeling inside him.

"So this is guilt" He whispered to himself watching Buffy and her friends walk away.


	7. Word Vomit

**A/N:Hey sorry it's taken me awhile to get this chapter up, I've been a bit busy also it's a bit rushed so sorry about that.**

Chapter 7

The fifth bell rung for dinner and everyone hurried down to the dinner hall except for Angel who was dawdling behind.

"So what happened at the Bronze?" Gunn asked amused after he caught up with Angel, he already knew what happened, the whole school knew. Angel raised his weeping face to see the amused look on Gunn's, it was as he suspected, Gunn already knew and was just asking him so he would re live the embarrassing moment.

"I don't get her, she's so complicated but at the same time I want to uncomplicated her. Does that make sense?"

"Man I don't know what you on about, that's all I know you sounding like you like this girl" Before Angel got his chance to answer Cordelia rushed down the corridor waving her arms calling Angel. Gunn took one look at her and hurried away.

"Where you going?" Angel asked.

"Hey, she's your problem" Gunn replied walking even faster to try and get away from the storm that was Cordelia. Angel tried to do the same as Gunn and ignore her but she was like G.I. Jane, forcing him to stop.

"I don't want to argue" He said quickly as she was going to open her mouth, she closed her mouth and pouted for a second.

"I don't want to argue with you Angel but I realise why you might think that, our relationship was based on arguing, that's all we ever did was argue but that chapter in my life is over now" Cordelia babbled. Angel noticed how she said about the chapter in her life is over, everything was about her, god how did he put up with her for all that time? "Anyway what I really wanted to talk to you about is the dance, I wanted you to be the first to know that me and Riley are going together, I know you're probably devastated I mean we only broke up two day's ago and I know it's fast but I really think me and Riley could be good together given half a chance."

"Riley?"

"It's not to get back at you, it really isn't, he just asked me the day we broke up and he's going to take me out for dinner someday this week so there's a good chance we might be dating. I'm sorry Angel; I don't want to hurt you" Angel couldn't help what happened next, it was like he was auto pilot, he reached for Cordelia's arm pulling her into an embrace and kissing her passionately. "Angel!" She pulled back and slapped him in the face. "Hello Mr I think it's ok to kiss my ex girlfriend when she is seeing someone else. What was that?" Asking him was no use as he couldn't reply, he didn't know why he did, he didn't even like her. Maybe it was because she was going out with Riley, he hated Riley, Riley couldn't have her, Riley only wanted her because he had her, yeah that must have been it, it must have been because of Riley.

"Baby why you going with him? You're too good for him" The words just kept coming out, it was like he couldn't control it.

"Angel please don't do this" Cordelia pleaded trying to hide the grin she had, it was perfect, she had Angel right were she wanted him, or so she thought.

"I'm so sorry, it's all my fault I know that now, I should have appreciated what I had but you never really realise what you have until you loose it. I'm asking for one more chance Cordy, you know were good together"

"We were weren't we? Me and you, well we were the perfect couple, head cheerleader and the star quarter back but that's over now we have to move on" Cordelia smiled gently then turned her back hoping she would feel Angel's firm hand spinning her around again but this time he did not, he stood were he was excepting it was over. "Aren't you going to say anything?" She asked surprised turning back to face him. Angel had now come to his senses and didn't know what made him say what he did, it was like someone else was saying it, it didn't seem real.

"I think you've said it all" He nodded trying to act like he was upset. Cordelia again frowned; things didn't turn out like she had hoped. Why wasn't he kissing her? Why didn't he grab her like he did before? Why isn't he pouring his heart out?

"No, I haven't. I love you Angel O'Neil, I love you more then anything in the world. I've tried to convince myself I don't by going out with Riley but it's just made me realise even more who I really want to be with. Me and you, were special, we have it all" Cordelia threw herself at Angel pushing him into the wall but he was too shocked to feel anything or to say anything, what the hell was going on? One minuet she was saying they couldn't get back and the next she was throwing herself at him.

"I'll see you later" She winked finally releasing him from her grip. Angel still couldn't move it was like something was holding him there; his normally tanned face had turned white with confusion. When he was sure Cordelia was long gone he continued to walk to the lunch hall like he was in a trance.

"So what happened with Cordelia?" Gunn asked behind him bringing Angel back into reality.

"I need to sit down" Angel shook his head; he still couldn't believe what had just happened.

"That bad?" Gunn laughed, he always laughed at Angel and Cordelia, it was one drama after the next with those two. Angel walked over to a table that was already full but with one glance the geeky boys packed up their things and moved within seconds, leaving Angel and Gunn free to sit down.

"What happened?" Gunn asked again. "Did she shout? she hit you didn't she? Don't deny it you got a red mark across your face and you looking ruff"

"Is it possible to say something you don't mean?" Angel asked still in his trance.

"Yeah, I always do it. I always tell Kate I love her to get into the sack, its brilliant" Gunn grinned as if it was something to be proud of.

"No, that's not what I mean, can you tell someone something without even realising your saying it, like someone else is saying it?"

"What you say to her?" Gunn now sounded worried. Him and Angel grew up together, everything they did they did together, there were no secrets between the both of them and he didn't like the way Angel was acting.

"She told me that her and Riley were going to the dance together and that she was over me but it was this way long speech though and then I ..." Angel paused witched caused Gunn to move to the edge of his seat

"You ..." He said trying to get Angel to carry on with his story.

"Well I ... I ... I kind of ... I grabbed her and kissed her and told her I wanted to get back with her more or less and then she said that we were meant to be and now I think were back together" Angel looked mortified, so did Gunn.

"Dude are you serious?"

"Do you think I would make something like this up? I don't know what happened, it just sort of came out"

"You need help! You've been dying to get rid of her for ages and you finally did and now you blown it, say goodbye to the good life man because your going to be on a leash from now on and guess what you going to be on a leash on your own because me? Well I've had a taste of the good life and I'm not going back" Gunn crossed his arms stubbornly, secretly he was jealous, not of Angel getting to be with Cordelia but for Cordelia taking up all Angel's time, when they were together Angel hardly had any time for Gunn.

"You've got to help me" Angel pleaded.

"Ohh no. You know you're my bro right? But getting involved with you and Cordelia, no. I don't think so; you've made your bed now you've got to lay in it, besides she's got to be good for something I mean you stayed with her for all those years"

"Please Gunn" Angel would have done anything but Gunn had already made up his mind, secretly they both feared Cordelia, everyone in the school did she was like the bitch from hell but nastier. He knew that's all he was to Cordelia was a accessory and before that's all she was to him but in the space of the two days they were apart something changed inside him, he didn't want a accessory anymore, he didn't want a play thing. What he wanted? Even he didn't know and that scared the hell out of him, how he had changed so much in two days, how everything in his world he started questioning, everything became scarier. What was happening to him? Whatever it was he didn't like.


	8. Planning Ahead

Chapter 8

Buffy stared at Angel who was sitting five tables away from her, he didn't even notice she was there but his eyes they looked troubled, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Without even noticing Xander had plonked himself next to her telling Willow the latest gossip.

"Yeah their back together" He said.

"Who?" Buffy asked finally taking her eyes of Angel

"Queen C and Angel" Xander smiled; there was no way she could like him now. "Why did they call him Angel anyway? It's such a gay name"

"I think it's a beautiful name" Willow revealed, Xander looked at her like she had betrayed him. "It's just a name Xand"

"It's not just a name" Xander took his tray and walked off.

"What's with him?" Buffy asked.

"He's really sensitive when it comes to Angel and Cordelia."

"I can see but why. What was Angel on about this morning, another ambulance? Why did he say that?"

"Brace yourself were going to have a long story. It all started in middle school Xander had this massive crush on Cordelia but at the time Cordelia was on and of with Angel so when they had this massive argument Cordelia went and kissed Xander to wind Angel up, Angel got wound up all right, he punched Xander sending him flying into the lockers. By the time Xander got up an ambulance was waiting and Cordelia was kissing Angel so Xander got punched for nothing."

"Wow, harsh but that was years ago" Buffy said shocked

"I know but it's ever since then. Sometimes I think that he still likes her but then he goes on about you making the other thought disappear completely" Willow looked at Buffy but saw nothing, she was in a world of her own.

"Why does he look so sad?" She asked finally coming around. Willow felt a bit disappointed that she didn't say anything to what she had said before Buffy spaced out but that was typical Buffy, always in a world of her own.

"Who?"

"What? Did I say something?" Buffy asked surprised

"You asked me why he looks so sad, why does who look so sad?" Buffy blushed, she didn't even realise she said that aloud.

"Oh no one, don't listen to me, talking to myself as usual" She babbled but Willow knew she wasn't she just hoped her friend realised what she was getting into.

"You coming?"

"Where?" Buffy was so busy gazing deeply at Angel she didn't notice the dinner bell went.

"Class. The bell went" Willow said in a obvious voice. Buffy threw her colourful green and pink bag over her shoulder and walked towards her next class brushing her shoulder on Angel's arm accidently as she passed. Angel blushed so did Buffy but she kept walking straight while Angel contemplated whether to talk to her or not but decided not to.

"You like her don't you?" Gunn could sense there was something between them. "Guess the bets off then"

"All bet's are still on. I told you I can have any girl I want and I'll prove that to you no worry's" Angel couldn't help but feel wrong about the bet but he never pulled out of anything and this wasn't going to be any different.

"What about Cordelia?"

"What about her? What she doesn't know won't hurt her"

"And there was me thinking you had changed. Welcome back mate" Gunn chuckled shaking Angel's hand. All of a sudden Angel had a brilliant idea; it came to him like a lighting bolt.

"Spikes party is tonight isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah why?" Angel's grin grew even bigger and his head was pumping with ideas now.

"I can invite Buffy to the party, its perfect"

"Didn't you try and get her drunk to take advantage? And isn't she really mad at you? I don't think you've thought this through properly and what about Cordelia?"

"Do you really think Cordelia will go to one of Spikes party's, you know what she's like it's to hardcore for her"

"Yeah there's no Champaign or £100 wine for her to drink" Gunn laughed spinning around on the spot. When he turned the whole three hundred and sixty degrees he noticed Angel running of. "Where you going?" He called

"To find Buffy" Angel called back taking a right down the corridor. As he ran scanning the classes he past he had a big smile on his face. The more he ran the more he panted until he finally saw her, her blonde locks were glowing in the sunlight; her bright smile warmed his heart causing it to skip a beat.

"Did you want something or are you going to just stare?" Angel laughed nervously trying to remember what he had actually come here to say.

"I came to invite you to Spike's party tonight" Angel remembered. Buffy gasped, Spike's parties were the most talked about parties in the school, everyone went, there were no invites, if you knew where it was then you were invited.

"You are taking the piss, you try and get me drunk to do god knows what, I have a go at you and now you're inviting me to another party?"

"I want a chance to apologise for before and prove to you that I meant well so I thought what better way, come on Buffy it'll be fun" Angel already thought about every single scenario so he had a answer for everything.

"I thought you would be going with Cordelia?" Angel put his head down in shame, he hoped she hadn't heard about it but he knew it was a very slim chance she hadn't.

"No she hasn't been to one of Spike's parties since someone spilt beer over her dress"

"Won't she be mad?"

"Why would she be? It's not like we're going together or anything, I'm going to a party and so are you and so are a hundred other people"

"Yeah I guess so" Buffy tried to hide the disappointment in her voice but Angel already heard it, he smiled in triumph knowing that there was still a chance. "Can my friends come to?" She asked cheering up slightly. Angel looked to the left of Buffy where Willow was standing and nodded but when he looked to the left of Willow he thought for a moment decided whether or not he would let Xander come.

"She can come, so can he as long as he doesn't make any trouble" Xander was about to say something but Willow nudged him hard in the rips causing him to groan in pain. "So I guess I'll see you all there?"

"One questions where is it?" Buffy asked getting a piece of paper and a pen out of her bag.

"Here" Angel winked but Willow looked horrified.

"A party in the school? Isn't that illegal?" She stuttered.

"Yup but that's what makes it even funner, so see you later" Angel ran back to his own class leaving Buffy, Xander and a still horrified Willow.

"Party in the school? How cool is that"

"Buffy! Are you crazy we could all get expelled" Willow shouted.

"No we won't, Spike will though" Xander inputted.

"Spike's already been expelled, they'll expel everyone that was there if they find out about it" Willow could feel her heart pumping faster at the even mention of expulsion.

"We'll just have to be extra quite then" Buffy smiled, Willow stared at her not knowing why Buffy still wanted to go.

"Are you serious? You could get kicked out, banished, evicted, removed. Buffy we cant we really can't"

"Of course we will, how many times have we been invited to cool parties? None, we are going to this party now breath in and out Will and everything will be alright" Willow took a deep breath, then out again, she repeated this several times.

"That's it, keep it going" Xander patted Willow on the back while giggling secretly with Buffy. Xander entered the maths class leaving Buffy and Willow outside; he was deep in his thoughts thinking about the party.

"I can finally tell Buffy how I feel and if she doesn't feel the same I'll just blame it on the drink, yeah the drink I'll blame it on. Angel's with Cordelia so that wont be a problem" Xander said to himself taking his seat next to Harmony, she sighed as he sat down, wishing she could sit by someone cooler. Harmony could hear Cordelia talk from where she was, she was talking to Riley who didn't look at all impressed.

"I'm sorry but me and Angel are soul mates, it was bound to happen sooner or later maybe we can go out some other time?"

"What so I was just second best? You used me to get back at Angel is that it?" Riley tried to keep his voice at the same level but he was finding it really hard.

"As I said before me and Angel are soul mates, I'll do what ever is necessary to get him back" Cordelia sounded like what she did wasn't that big, that no one would get hurt by her actions, although Riley wasn't really hurt he was just angry that Angel beat him again.

"He had sex with your best friend and you're going to take him back?"

"It was a mistake; he'll never do it again. I don't want to talk about this any more so can we just forget it and be friends." Cordelia snapped, she hated people reminding her of Angel's slutty side. "So you going to Spike's party tonight?" She asked forgetting about their almost relationship. Riley couldn't believe her, was she for real?


	9. Meet Spike

Chapter 9

Music blared out of Sunnydale High and yet none of the locals even noticed there was a full on rave inside the local high school. Outside the school a massive truck pulled up, out from the truck came five big speakers that needed fifteen people to carry them. The last thing out of the truck was a bleach blonde haired boy wearing leather pants and a cigarette in his hand.

"I'm back" He grinned looking up at his former school. Taking a bottle of beer out from the glove department of his white truck he wrapped his teeth around it and forced the cap off with his teeth without even flinching. "Looks like my party has already started" Spike said to himself swigging his beer still outside.

"Where do you want these?" A boy with a pink mohican asked holding a speaker that was twice the size of him.

"Put it by the DJ booth, there is a DJ booth isn't there?"

"Yeah it's it in the main hall. That's the last of the stuff" The boy wiped the sweat away from his head, the only thing that kept him from dropping the speaker was the thought of helping Spike out. Spike was a legend among Sunnydale's younger generation; he threw the best party's in the best places, if he hadn't got kicked out of Sunnydale High he would have graduated by now. Like Angel Spike was also from a wealthy family, his father owned half of Wolfram and Heart, the famous law firm; he was partners with Angel's father, his brother. When Spike was still in school he was very popular, mostly known for his bad behaviour and his way with the lady's.

"Bloody excellent" Spike said throwing the bottle away as he walked up the stairs to where his party was. Opening the glass doors Spike breathed in the smell of his favourite things, alcohol, smoke and sex. "Where's my cousin?" He asked the boy with the pink mohican, the boy pointed across the room to a group of girls. In the middle of the group Angel had his tongue down one of the girl's throats and one hand on her bottom and the other massaging the back of her head. "Well well well little cousin" Spike announced looking impressed. Angel immediately pulled away looking Spike up and down, once he was satisfied it was Spike he pulled him into a big hug.

"Where have you been? It's been ages"

"The mother send me off to England, said I caused too much of a scandal here. The only reason I'm back is because now they want me close by to keep an eye on me"

"Well that sucks" Angel sympathised, he always knew he had the best deal. His father was the favourite of his grandfather's children so when his grandfather retired he gave Angel's father 65 of the business.

"Yeah I know, I was just starting to like England as well and they bring me back home. Well I have to go play host, see you later little cousin" Spike flashed Angel a cheeky smile then went to get another beer from the fridge that had come from his truck.

Cordelia looked in the mirror one last time before finally deciding she was ready. No one knew she was going to Spike's party, she wanted it to be a surprise, to make an entrance, well she certainly would make an entrance in her royal blue skin tight mini dress.

"I'm going now daddy" She said kissing her father's cheek, any normal father would have send her upstairs to get changed but he didn't notice what she had on, he was to busy checking the accounts.

"Ok princess. Are you taking the car or do you want someone to drive you?" Cordelia's father asked not even taking his eyes of the laptop.

"No its ok I'll drive there, I'll probably stay at Angel's tonight as well"

"Ok no problem. Oh before I forget your mother's gone to Paris so give her a call if you want anything" Cordelia nodded wishing that her father would take more notice of her, what she was wearing, maybe even care once in a while but all he cared about was his growing bank account.

Back at the party everyone was having a great time, the drink seemed like it was never ending, the music didn't stop and the host was making sure everyone had a good time. Spike had his eye on a black haired girl for some time now. He first noticed her when she drank from the pipe, she did very well too, she didn't even spill any on her leather pants.

"Hey" Spike grinned. Faith looked at him then walked away. "Hey" He said again following her.

"Bye" She replied harshly. Spike stood stunned, that had never happened to him before. Getting into a bit of a panic he walked quickly over to Angel was barging past the group of girls around his little cousin.

"Is my hair alright? Or is it my teeth? Or maybe my clothes"

"Come again?" Angel was totally bewildered

"That chick over there" He pointed to Faith who was now doing shots with the cheerleaders.

"Faith?"

"Yeah, I knew I knew her from somewhere well Faith yeah, I just went over to talk to her and she blew me off. What's going on?"

"It must be you she's probably done everyone else in Sunnydale" Angel laughed still looking at Faith, she saw him looking and gave him the finger causing him to turn his attention back to Spike, although he was only giving half of his attention to anyone. One of his eyes was at the entrance waiting for Buffy to walk in or maybe Gunn.

"Hey sorry to interrupt but will you help me with something?" Darla asked Angel. Darla and Angel had known each other for years; she was two years older than him and a friend of the family's. They went on holidays together and even shared bath's so it isn't really surprising that they both lost their virginity together.

"I'll leave you two to it" Spike said nudging Angel secretly as he walked of.

"What you need help with?" Angel asked tiredly, he wished Buffy would hurry up.

"I'm feeling a bit frustrated and I need your help" She said suggestively

"Get a stress ball" Angel was so distracted he didn't even notice what Darla was implying.

"I don't think it's something a stress ball can take care of" She whispered into his neck taking his hand and rubbing it against her thigh. Angel looked at her trying to judge what kind of state she was in, she had had a bit to drink but could make up her own mind so he took her hand and led her into the history class room.

"I really don't think this is a good idea, if we get caught then that's it. My life will be over" Willow stood staring, watching the disco lights through the glass door.

"Seize the moment, now come on" Buffy grabbed Willows hand and dragged her inside, Xander followed checking out all the girls in the small skirts.

"Wow cool party" Xander gasped in amazement. "Hey I bet your glad you came now aren't you Will?"

"Yeah..." Willow lied. Truth was she felt underdressed, well more like overdressed. Everyone else had tiny skirts on that barely covered them while she was in a royal blue pencil skirt, a grey strapless top with a white shrug. Unlike Buffy who had her hair down in curls her hair was up in a clip, yeah she felt very underdressed, all of a sudden Willow felt someone tapping her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Cordelia demanded.

"I, I'm here for the .. the party" Willow stuttered. Cordelia gave her the dirtiest look then walked over to where Anya was

"She is wearing my colour. I'm wearing that shade of blue so why is she wearing it, I know she wants to be like me but seriously. Would you turn up in the same colour as someone else?"

"Not everyone wants to be you mind besides loads of people are in blue" Anya stated making Cordelia think about what she was going to say next.

"Yeah but it's not the same shade is it. She has the exact same shade but I look better" Cordelia all of a sudden spotted Spike and squealed. "Spike! Oh my god, it's been ages"

"Cordelia Chase? I haven't seen you in a while" Spike tried his hardest to sound happy but he just couldn't convince himself, sure Cordelia was pretty but that's all she had going for her, there was no thriving personality, great sense of human just a pretty face.

"Yeah I know, have you seen Angel?" She asked.

"Uh... He's around here somewhere. Why don't I get you a drink first?" Spike handed Cordelia his bottle of beer to try and buy some time for Angel but there was no need. Darla sneaked out of the history room first, two minuets later Angel followed doing his shirt up, no one noticed except for one person; the dark haired girl in the leather pants, Faith. With her eyes she followed Angel's steps to a beautiful blond in a black sparkling dress. The girl wasn't Darla or Harmony or even Kate, she was different, she wasn't in Cordelia's group, and Faith just hoped she knew what she was getting into.


	10. Breaking The Rules Has Never Been Funner

Chapter 10

"I didn't think you were going to come" Angel said looking at Buffy's chest.

"And miss a party in the school? Wouldn't dream of it" Buffy giggled while Willow looked around nervously wondering if it's too late to go home now.

"Would you like a drink?" Angel asked. Buffy looked at him suspiciously "Non alcoholic of course, wouldn't want a repeat of the other night would we" Buffy could feel her cheeks burn up in embarrassment.

"Just get me a beer"

"I don't think that's..."

"Angel, it's my decision and I want a beer" Buffy interrupted. Angel smiled walking off to get her a beer.

"What are you doing?" Willow demanded.

"I'm just having a bit of fun, chill"

"Chill! Chill! Are you crazy? Do you know how many rules we're breaking just by being here never mind drinking! Drinking in school grounds!"

"Ah, that may be so but we are not drinking in school hours" Xander added smugly which made Willow even more nervous

"It's not to late to go"

"Get that down you" Xander snatched a bottle out of a randoms hand then gave it to Willow who just starred at it. "Will it's a party" Willow looked at the bottle one last time before tipping it down her throat.

"Wwww you downed that like a pro" Buffy smiled nudging her in the arm but Willow was to busy trying to steady herself to take any notice.

"Who is that?" Willow asked curiously pointing at the boy with the red hair with a hint of brown.

"The one next to spike?" Xander asked. Buffy looked all around the corridor but she didn't have a clue who they were talking about.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him before"

"Who's Spike?" Buffy asked still searching the room.

"Spike is ..." Xander began

"Spike's my cousin, he arranged the party. I could introduce you if you like" Angel said handing Buffy the beer she asked for.

"Name drop much?" Xander whispered to Willow whose gaze was still on the red haired boy.

"Angel? Who's that with Spike?" Willow asked. Angel looked over thinking for a minuet.

"That's Oz, he's a senior and he's in a band" Willow snatched Buffy's beer and downed it in less than two minuets.

"Come on Buffy, let's get acquainted" The three of them walked over leaving an unhappy Xander standing on his own.

"I'd watch yourself if I was you, I just seen Cordelia and she's looking for you" Spike said as his cousin stopped to stand next to them. Angel and Buffy's face fell

"If she asks tell her you haven't seen me. This is Buffy and Willow, Buffy, Willow this is Spike and Oz" Oz crossed his arm's watching everyone's body language. It was clear to him that Willow wanted him, Spike wanted Buffy but so did Angel but Angel's was a little more different to Spike's.

"Hello good looking, so how do you know my cousin?" Spike asked flirtatiously.

"School" Buffy said simply.

"Its funny you don't seem like the brain dead sluts he usually goes for" Willow made a face while trying to stop herself from laughing while Angel made threatening eyes at Spike.

"Me and Angel? Oh no, no way. We're just friends" Buffy said so suddenly it made Angel feel a bit upset.

"If I was you I'd watch my self love. A pretty thing like you, it isn't possible for Angel here to be just friends with gorgeous blondes" Spike half joked but still causing Buffy to blush, she couldn't remember when she had this much attention.

"I think you've embarrassed me enough now Spike. Would you like to dance?" Angel asked Buffy. Buffy nodded making her way to the dance floor, just as Angel was about to follow Spike pulled him back.

"What are you up to?" He asked in a whisper

"Don't know what you mean" Angel replied innocently

"I know you Angel and I know people. She isn't easy like the rest so why are you wasting your time?"

"What can I say, I like a challenge" Angel smirked walking away but Spike pulled him back again.

"She's a virgin you know"

"How do you know that?"

"I can tell" Spike looked deep into Angel's eyes and just by the look he gave back Spike knew what he was up to "But you already knew that didn't you. It's not worth it"

"Spike, I don't know what your talking about" Angel turned his back

"Yes you do" Spike called after him shaking his head in disapproval. There was a time in his life when he did the same but that chapter was over, he had changed and he didn't want Angel going down the same path as he did.

On the dance floor Angel was twirling Buffy around, she was smiling happily having the time of her life, not worrying about anything else, not even what Cordelia was going to say when she found out she was dancing with her boyfriend.

"So you're a senior? How come I haven't seen you in school before?" Willow asked Oz.

"Well I travel a lot and when I'm in school I just go to the music room to play my guitar" Oz replied.

"You play the guitar?" Willow asked interested

"Yeah, when I play it's like nothing else matters, it's just me and the music you know?"

"That sounds amazing. I would love to be able to do something like that, feel that but the only thing I'm good at is homework"

"I believe we all have our very unique talents, you just haven't found yours yet" Oz almost soothed, with every word that was coming out of his mouth Willow felt like she was falling for him, really falling for him.

Finally Cordelia spotted Angel on the dance floor then strutted over in her five inch heels.

"Hey baby" She kissed him on the cheek completely ignoring Buffy who stood speechless

"I'm kind of dancing with Buffy at the minuet" Angel said making Buffy smile a little but had the opposite effect on Cordelia. Cordelia turned around to see Buffy smiling, she could have caused a scene, she could have dropped Buffy right there but she chose not to, she was going to keep her cool.

"But Angel I was hoping we could have some us time. You know I don't usually come to one of Spike's party's but today I did, to see you and now you're telling me you don't want to see me? I got all dressed up and everything"

"Ok, give me a minuet" Angel sighed in defeat, he didn't want to argue with her, he knew it was a argument he could never win.

"I don't think we're ever going to get so spend time together" Buffy said trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Look I'm really sorry"

"Girlfriend comes first" Buffy turned to go see Xander leaving Angel in the middle of the dance floor to ponder in his own thoughts. Why didn't he just tell Cordy that he didn't want to be with her? Things would be so much simpler.

"Angel, Angel" Cordelia called. Angel turned to look at her still not moving, he made up his mind, he knew who he wanted to be with at that moment so he followed Buffy.

"Buffy" He said putting his hand on her shoulder. Buffy turned around and smiled although she was a bit shocked that he was there.

"I thought you wanted to spend time with queen C" She laughed

"I'd rather spend time with you" Angel said softly. "Look I know how this might sound but Cordy's going to be looking for me any minuet now so would you like to go somewhere?" Xander decided it was best for him to be apart of the convocation now.

"Where are we going?"

"Actually I was thinking just Buffy and I"

"I'd like that" Buffy smiled, she felt like she was drowning in his gorgeous brown eyes

"Angel!" They heard Cordelia shout. Angel pulled Buffy outside; they ran laughing into Angel's black Hummer with tinted windows.

"Nice car" Buffy said impressed looking around. It had three televisions, an Xbox two massive speakers in the boot and was probably bigger then her bedroom.

"Thanks" Was all Angel said; he was used to people telling him he had a nice car. "So where do you want to go?"

"I don't mind wherever"

"I don't want to sound forward or anything but we could go back to my house just to chill, I promise I won't try anything"

"Is there any one in?"

"My sister I think"

"Yeah sure but you promised you wont try anything so you to keep to it ok otherwise I get to kick your ass" Buffy joked.

"No problem, I promise"

"Angel, can I ask you something?" Buffy looked at him concentrating on the road and saw him, truly saw him, not the arrogant little bastard he was in school but the real him.

"Sure, go ahead, ask away"

"Why did your mother call you Angel?" Angel chuckled; so many people had asked that question.

"Because my mother was convinced I was an angel. My parents they work a lot so they didn't really have time for a family but it was what my mother always wanted so when she got pregnant it was a miracle"

"That's lovely, your sister her name's Kathy isn't it?"

"Yeah how did you know?"

"She's a freshman, in the same year as my little sister Dawn. Angel, if you don't really like Cordelia then why are you with her?" Buffy asked not being able to look at him, she wasn't sure if what she said was entirely true but she got the feeling that his heart wasn't in the relationship.

"It's complicated. You're lucky, you get a choice in your future I don't. Cordelia and I, well our parents they know each other so when I lived up in L.A Cordelia was the one person I could speak to. Our parents expected us to get together so then we could be they're lawyers and Cordelia would be sorted for life. She doesn't love me and I don't love her, she knows that deep down but she understands me. Before all of the high school shit me and Cordelia got along great, I could talk to her but then high school came and all the drama that came with it. You don't know how lucky you are Buffy"

"You keep saying that but you can do what ever you like, you mother doesn't care, I would love to have a mother or father like that"

"They're never there. All my life I've been brought up by nannies, I've never had a proper conversation with my parents. Kathy need her mother instead she's half way across the world; they only care when we embarrass them or cause them some sort of trouble. They're answer to everything is money" Angel pulled up outside his house. Buffy gasped, it took her about ten minuets to examine the whole house, it was beautiful, like the little doll house she had when she was child.


	11. Kathy

Chapter 11

Angel turned the key which opened one of the double door's to reveal a massive ebony chandelier lighting up the whole room. The floor looked like it was made out of glass it was so shiny and the stair case that split into two half way up was like something out of a fairytale. Angel laughed to himself as he watched Buffy look around the house in amazement.

"This is amazing" Buffy said listening to the echo.

"You should have seen my house in L.A, now that was amazing"

"You had a bigger house then this? Is that even possible?"

"You ready for the grand tour then?" Angel laughed pulling her into the first door. It had a slightly smaller chandelier then the main hall did but it was still big. The room was brown and beige with a light shade of beige carpet and wall paint then with a darker brown wooden strip at the bottom and top of the wall. The sofa was in the shape of a half circle, also beige and could fit twelve people, it faced fifty eight inch plasma screen that was stuck to the wall. Below the plasma screen in a glass cabinet was a number of game consoles.

"That's beautiful" Buffy said looking at a painting of a little cabin by a glittering lake that was above the gas fireplace that was covered in marble.

"My grandparents used to take me and Kathy there, Kathy loved it so they decided to get it painted for her birthday. When they died they left the cabin to her but she wasn't old enough so my father was to look after the property for her until she could do it herself but instead he sold it and ever since then Kathy hasn't really spoken to him" For some reason Angel felt comfortable telling Buffy all this, there was something about her that he trusted.

"That's terrible"

"She cried every night for two months after they died, my mother or father didn't even notice because for those two months only two nights they were hear and those two nights I slept on her floor because she didn't want to be on her own. The cabin was the only thing that actually meant something to us of theirs. We didn't care about the house, the antiques or the cars." Angel felt a hand hold his, he looked down and noticed Buffy holding his hand and smiling sympathetically

"Do you mind me asking how they died?" Buffy asked.

"I'm surprised you don't know already, it was in all the papers, the magazines. They were coming back from England when their jet crashed. It was just one of them things the investigator told us."

"I'm sorry" Buffy whispered wishing she didn't ask, she didn't know what to say, she didn't really have the experience in these sort of situations. No one she was close to had died before so she didn't know what it felt like. Angel turned to face her and saw that she felt bad.

"Don't be, it was years ago. Right back to the tour" He said taking her into the next room.

"You play the piano?" Buffy asked seeing the grand white piano in the corner of the room. The room was all gold matching the gold harp in the middle of the room; it was so pretty and had _to my dear Angel on your fifth birthday love Mother and Father _engraved on the pillar.

"Yeah, I learnt when I was little then my mother bought me the harp, she said if I could play the piano I could play the harp and that was it then I turned into a bit of a Moniot D'Arras"

"Who?" Buffy asked still a bit surprised, there was a lot she didn't know about Angel and she wanted to find out everything.

"He was a famous composer of the middle ages" Angel laughed.

"How do you know so much about music?"

"Family's a big music fan. My mother can play any instrument, you name it she can play it so she wanted Kathy and I to learn to so I learnt the harp and piano while Kathy learnt how to play the violin, the cello and the clarinet. Of course I've stopped playing now because if it got around that I could play well let's just say it would ruin my reputation but Kathy still plays"

"I would have loved to learnt how to play a instrument but my mother couldn't afford the lessons" Buffy said sadly

"Well I could teach you if you want" Angel offered. Buffy looked at him dying to say yes but she wasn't sure what the music lessons would lead to, there was something between them both but he was with Cordelia and she knew what he was like.

"I'm not so sure, what about Cordelia, what would she say?" Buffy said unsure

"I'll just be teaching you how to play the piano or a harp, no big deal" Angel looked at her, she still looked unsure "You said yourself you always wanted to play a instrument well now's your chance." Buffy knew he was right but she was still worried about what it would lead to.

"What would people say?"

"Who gives a shit what people would say? Look I know how I am; I'm not exactly the virgin Merry"

"Far from it" Buffy chuckled

"Hey, I'm not that bad" Angel laughed, he couldn't remember the last time he laughed as much, he definitely knew it wasn't with Cordelia. "On with the tour then. You keep distracting me" The next room they went to was the kitchen; it was really modern and all black. The counters went around the part of the kitchen which made it look like a separate room only with no wall and a gap as a door. "This is the kitchen" Angel said walking over to get a drink from the fridge

"I can see that, its lovely" Buffy sat on the bar stool by the counter. As he got two sodas from big double fridge with an ice machine he noticed his little sister was curled up in a ball leaning against the counter. Angel dropped the cans and quickly moved towards his fragile sister.

"Kathy? Kath" He said trying to get her to remove her hands from her face. "What's happened?" Kathy continued to sob which made Buffy feel extremely uncomfortable. "You're going to have to talk to me if you want me to help you" Angel said

"Angel?" Kathy looked up to see her brother nodding, she could feel his arm around her, she could feel safe.

"I'm here"

"Angel" She smiled, just then Angel noticed a bottle of pills beside her, he picked them up and read the label.

"How many have you taken Kath?" He shouted, a shout that would have scared Buffy if she wasn't frozen "How many!" This time he shook her to get an answer

"I don't remember" Kathy sang completely out of it. Buffy finally came around and ran to the sink to get a glass of water.

"It won't work, water doesn't have any effect on someone that over doses but it can cause the veins to collapse, cause swelling and can also overload the kidneys." Angel said still holding Kathy

"You sure know your stuff" Buffy replied pouring the water back down the sink. Angel picked Kathy up and carried her over to the sink then forced his fingers down her throat causing her to be sick. Buffy watched wondering how many times he had to do this, he seemed like an expert, so calm, that's how she knew he had done it before, if that was her sister she would be panicking, now knowing what to do. "Is she alright now?" Buffy asked as Angel held his sister stroking her hair dark hair back.

"No not yet, I have to watch her for awhile" He replied not taking his eyes away from Kathy

"Should we phone an ambulance? Wouldn't they be better at dealing with this sort of thing?"

"No, no ambulance" Angel chuckled making Buffy quiver a bit, his sister had just over dosed and he was laughing, was there something wrong with him. "The first time this happened my mother was here. No ambulance she said and you know why? She was more worried of the press finding out her daughter was suicidal then how Kathy was and that's how it begun. She did it about three times then my mother and father decided that we should get training in first aid so we could deal with it ourselves. Mother got her a very discreet physiatrist and that was it, problem sorted. Kathy would carry on over dosing, I was left to take care of her and then mother would call the physiatrist in. Still want my parents?"

"Your family has issues, so does everyone else's" Buffy replied trying to make it sound like it was no big deal

"So your sister's suicidal to?" When he didn't get an answer he spoke again "I didn't think so. Look Buffy, I'm sorry you had to be here when she's like, well when she's like that. I suppose its ruined the whole day hasn't it"

"Don't be silly, it's not everyday you get to see a live episode of scrubs is it" Buffy tried to crack a joke but after she said it, it felt inappropriate but Angel laughed along. "Well we're sharing deep dark secrets on the first date" Buffy laughed

"This is a date then is it?" Angel asked intrigued. Buffy blushed instantly wishing she hadn't said anything

"I don't know why I said that" She confessed "Maybe I should go"

"You can't"

"I think I should" Buffy felt Angel's hand holding her arm, he was still holding Kathy so he had a very loose grip on her

"You don't have a car and I cant drive you until Kathy is out of the red zone so I guess your stuck here until then" Angel said not bothering to hide his happiness

"You sound awful happy for someone whose sister just took an overdose" Buffy replied


	12. Fuck ‘Em And Chuck ‘Em

Chapter 12

Kathy opened her eyes slowly, she was finally coming around. Angel had gone to pick Spike up, he left Buffy to look after Kathy, normally he would never trust anyone to do that but there was something about her, he just hoped Kathy didn't wake up because she wasn't the type of person who liked waking up to strangers watching her actually she didn't even like talking to anyone she didn't really know.

"Who are you?" Kathy demanded as if Buffy was a burglar or something

"I'm Buffy, Angel left me to look after you while he went to pick Spike up" Buffy soothed but it didn't help much it just made Kathy panic more

"Liar!" She spat "My brother would never leave me, where is he?"

"I told you he went to pick Spike up from a party, he'll be back soon"

"Get away from me!" Kathy shuffled down the half circle sofa

"Kathy you have to calm down" Buffy shuffled down too

"It's Katherine" Kathy was now at the end of the sofa, Buffy was right in front of her, the moment Buffy tried to reach for her hand she shot up and ran into the kitchen Buffy followed almost immediately

"Great a hysterical suicidal teenage girl" Buffy muttered to herself a bit angry that Angel did leave her with Kathy but a bit flattered that he trusted her that much. As Buffy entered the kitchen Kathy was rummaging in the draw for something, when she finally turned around she had a kitchen knife in her hand, the silver end was glittering at the tip of the knife. Buffy stood still unable to move "Katherine"

"Shut up! Who are you?!" She screamed, her dark brown eyes looked as scared as Buffy's, her arm was shaking as she held the knife out in front of her

"You're a good person, you won't do it" Buffy said. In all honesty she didn't know what kind of person Katherine was but looking into her eyes she knew the poor girl was scared

"If I can take my own life I'm sure yours won't be a problem"

"What are you doing!?" Angel shouted running towards Kathy, he stopped when he was about three inches away from the blade she was holding out

"You weren't kidding when you said everything was fucked up" Spike said from the doorway

"You left me with her, you told me you would never leave, you said you'd look after me but you left"

"I know and I'm sorry, I really am but I had to go pick Spike up, I only left you for about ten minuets I promise." Angel took a very small step towards Kathy, the blade was only a inch away from his chest now, he reached his hand out to hers and took the knife away

"I'm sorry" Kathy sobbed. Angel pulled her into a hug, smoothing the back of her head. "I'm so sorry" She sobbed again. Spike took the knife from Angel and put it back into the draw then walked over to Buffy and put his hand on her shoulder

"You alright pet?" He asked seeing she was frightened

"I'm fine" She replied with a false smile. Angel let go of Kathy leaving her to exit the room

"Do you want me to drive you home now? Spike will look after Kathy" Angel said feeling really guilty, if he hadn't left then Kathy would never had done what she done and Buffy wouldn't be feeling scared right now

"I will?" Spike asked not really feeling up to looking after his psycho cousin

"I don't think it's a good idea that you leave her, she's feeling really insecure. I think she just wants someone with her right now and the closest person she's got is you" Buffy said

"What about you? Spike can't drive you home he's had to much to drink"

"Hey, I could so drive her home"

"I'll walk" Buffy smiled

"No you wont, you live the other side of town. You can stay here tonight, it's no problem"

"But I don't have any of my stuff" Buffy pointed out

"You can borrow some of Kathy's clothes, she's got to many anyway and I'll drop by your house tomorrow to pick your books up for school" Buffy noticed how Angel always had an answer for everything which kind of annoyed Buffy a bit

"Well I think I should at least ring my mother to let her know where I am"

"Yeah, the phones in the living room, it's a voice control phone so just press the green button and say the number out loud and the phone will dial it. Make sure you say the number clearly otherwise it'll ring the wrong number"

"Yeah of course voice control, who doesn't have voice control these days" Buffy stated sarcastically. She pressed the green button like she was told then spoke into the speaker "Mom?" She asked not knowing if she said the numbers clearly enough "Oh hey, yeah, no, I'm back from there now, yeah I'm fine I'm at a friends, do you mind if I stay here tonight? Yeah I'll come home first thing tomorrow to get my books and that, yeah, are you sure it's ok with you? Ok thanks, bye love you." Buffy put the modern digital phone back on its stand, Angel was in the doorway staring at her

"Everything alright?" He asked really meaning if it was alright for her to stay

"Yeah, she's fine with it but I didn't exactly tell her whose house I was staying so I think it's best if she doesn't find out"

"Why's that?"

"She doesn't really like me staying with guy's in they're house well except for Xander but even then she still has her doubts and ring me every half hour to check up on me, I don't know why mind you because I've never done anything for her not to trust me I mean I haven't even been in a relationship since I moved here" Buffy laughed nervously regretting she had said that, now he probably thought she was a anti dating kind of person

"Bad break up?" Angel asked his head tilting a bit

"Something like that" Buffy replied not really wanting to get into it. Angel took the hint, before he could find something clever to say Spike came down the grand stairs

"So we going to have our own private little party or what?" Spike grinned with four bottles in one of his hands and a bottle opener in the other

"Eh?" Buffy looked confused, the party was over wasn't it? She looked at the digital clock that was on the phone, it was 2:30 am, she had school in the morning was it really wise to start partying again?

"Every time I'm in town I always throw a big bash don't I angel, the best party's in this town. I've been trying to teach Angel how to be a good party planner, he's nearly there but anyway, when we get back me and my boy Angel here kick back and have a few drinks maybe ring a few girls" Spike stopped when Angel gave him a deadly look to say shut up. Buffy saw the look and knew what he meant; no Angel was hardly the virgin Merry "Drink anyone?" Spike asked breaking the awkward silence

"I'm going to check on Kathy" Angel said, when he was out of the room Spike plonked himself on the sofa next to Buffy grinning at her which made her feel a bit uncomfortable

"He likes you" Spike announced, he put one bottle from each hand down on the floor which left him two bottles

"He likes everyone in a skirt" Buffy stated trying not to let what Spike said register in her head

"It's different though, I know him, I've grown up with him, I've taught him the essential rules with women"

"And what'd that then?" Buffy asked slightly amused. Spike looked at her taking a swig from both of his bottles

"Fuck 'em and chuck 'em" Spike grinned, by now he was slightly drunk

"I don't know why I'm surprised" Buffy sighed then looked at him unimpressed

"But what I'm saying is he hasn't even tried"

"Oh believe me he's tried. We were at the bronze, the local club"

"Oh I remember the bronze, that's the place I lost my virginity. The first cubical in the woman's toilets, best shag I've ever had"

"Lovely" Buffy shifted a bit waiting for Spike to finish his little fantasy and hoping Angel would come back soon because she really couldn't cope with listening to Spike go on about the golden day's in Sunnydale

"Sorry was you telling me something love?" Spike finally snapped out of his memory of the day he lost his virginity

"Yeah the bronze. I went to the bronze and Angel was there so he came up to me, we started talking then he bought me a drink and kept buying me drinks then he tried to take me home with him"

"Ah the classic get her drunk technique, I taught him that, only ever works on sluts though" Angel stood in the doorframe laughing slightly at Spike

"It's late I'm going to go to bed" Angel said

"Yeah me to I think, were will I be sleeping"? Buffy asked

"Wait, you're going to bed now? What happened to you man? There used to be days where we would drink until six in the morning and then go to school drunk"

"I thought you said England changed you? Come on I'll show you to your room" Angel led Buffy up the stairs.

"Fine I'll just bloody drink on my own" Spike slurred


	13. People Talk

Chapter 13

The cat alarm clock moved its trumpet into its mouth and blew on it while moving its mechanical legs. Buffy rolled over in the large black double bed, she reached for the alarm clock, it was in a different place then it normally was and that caused Buffy to shoot up. She wondered where she was for a few seconds until she heard Angel's voice downstairs then she smiled sweetly listening to the laughter

"Angel you dare!" Kathy shouted

"Dare what?" Angel asked innocently holding a big spider in his closed hand

"You know I don't like them" Kathy pleaded. She was standing at one end of the table ready to move while Angel was standing at the other end ready to chase her if she did move

"Like what?" All of a sudden Angel moved chasing Kathy around the round table until she finally exited the kitchen flinging the door open. Before she could even enter the living room Angel tackled her into it. They both rolled around play fighting on the beige floor, Kathy in stitches of giggles. Buffy sat on the stairs watching them, smiling, it was like seeing him in a new light, a better light, one which she liked, a lot. "Buffy" Angel said seeing Buffy on the stairs, they both got up, Kathy still laughing which made Buffy smile even more, there was something about a happy family that just brought a tear to her heart, well almost anyway.

"Morning" Buffy smiled getting up to walk down the stairs. Angel stared at her, she had his checked shirt on, nothing else but she didn't need anything else, she looked so fabulous in the shirt. Kathy saw Angel staring so she hit him in the ribs

"It's rude to stare" She said with a serious face but then started laughing again "I'm going to go eat my breakfast" With that she skipped into the kitchen singing

"Someone's happier"

"She is, she's a happy teenage girl, most of the time"

"Will she be coming to school today then?" Buffy asked tugging the shirt down a bit. Angel stared at her perfect thighs not taking any notice of what she was saying "Angel? Are you listening?"

"Uh sorry spaced out a bit what did you say?"

"Is Kathy coming to school today?" Buffy sighed; she really didn't like repeating herself

"I don't know maybe it's too soon"

"Or maybe she just needs to get into a routine, I'm not expert but maybe having someone she can share things with, talk to will do her some good" Angel looked up at the picture of the cabin, he was looking at it like it was speaking to him, maybe because to him it was.

"She's got me; she talks to me, shares things with me"

"It's not the same, she needs a friend, a proper girl friend she can ring up and talk to for hours about make-up, guys and well guys"

"There will be no guy taking" Angel stammered, the thought of his sister being with someone nearly gave him a heart attack. Buffy laughed at his reaction

"She's 14, chill. She's been to school before hasn't she?" Angel nodded "Well why don't you want her to go now?"

"I really don't want to get into it but I have my reasons"

"She needs something more then you, right now you're the only one she has, what if you leave? It leaves her with nothing"

"I'm not planning on leaving her though" Angel grinned as if he won a contest. A car beeped from outside of the enormous house, Angel went over to the window and saw Gunn's silver Lexus "Ride's here, I'll go say goodbye to Kathy" Buffy walked over to the window Angel was just in and looked out, she saw Gunn's car but couldn't see him through the tinted window's. For some reason she felt intimidated by the car and who was inside it, what if it was Cordelia? But Angel wasn't as stupid as that was he? He would never ask Cordelia to pick him up when some other girl slept up would he?

"Hey" Kathy grinned with a mouth full of corn flakes

"I'm off to school now, I'll see you later" Kathy was about to protest when Angel spoke again "Spike's here, please don't do anything, I have to go to school"

"I promise I'll behave just come back straight after ok? I don't think I can handle listening to Spike talk about well we all k now what he talks about" Kathy walked over to Angel and going on her tip toes she gave a kiss on the cheek

"Remember be good yeah"

"Yeah" Kathy called after him. Angel grabbed his school bag from the bottom of the stairs then popped h is head into the living room where Buffy was looking out of the window

"It's only Gunn" Angel said making Buffy feel a bit relived but still a bit intimidated. They both walked over to Gunn's car, Buffy walking slowly behind.

"I see you have company" Gunn grinned seeing Buffy shyly open the back seat door while Angel opened the passenger seat door

"Will you drop by Buffy's? She needs to get her stuff" Angel said, Buffy sat on the leather seats quite, as quite as she's ever been. Gunn looked at Angel, he couldn't help but grin "Why are you smiling at me?" Angel asked turning the music up so Buffy wouldn't hear

"So she stayed all night huh?"

"Yeah..." Angel said

"So how much do I owe you then?"

"What do you mean?"

"The bet... We made a bet... And it looks like you won the bet" Gunn said trying to concentrate on the road "You know I didn't really think you could do it put well you proved me wrong man it looks like you can have anyone you want" Angel had completely forgotten about the bet, apart of him wanted to say yeah he slept with Buffy last night, early this morning so he could just be himself again. For some reason being around Buffy changed him, he wasn't so vain, so crude

"You don't owe me anything, talk about it later" Angel said worrying that Buffy might overhear. Gunn pulled up outside Buffy's house. "Do you want me to help you get some stuff?" Angel asked

"No it's ok. Do you mind if my sister comes to?"

"No that's fine" Buffy swung open the door and ran into her house

"So you didn't..."

"No I didn't" Angel interrupted

"What? Why? You had your chance; she was in your house. Man you losing it"

"I'm not loosing anything, I will do it, she's just different I have to get her to trust me"

"You know how confident I am that she's going to turn you down? 500, that's how confident"

"500? That's all? Man it's on" Angel laughed. Buffy appeared from the front door with her sister Dawn.

"Oh my god, this is so cool" Dawn gasped as she entered the Lexus. Gunn smiled and Angel swore he could see his head getting bigger. "So my friend Kylie she swore to me that she's been to your house before and I was like no way then she told me she was friends with you sister, where is your sister? She hasn't been in school in ages. It's so obvious she's lying though because she's a freshman, what would you want with a freshman?" Dawn babbled making Buffy feel embarrassed she was related to her especially when she started speaking about Kathy

"What wouldn't he want with a freshman" Gunn whispered so only Angel could hear him. Since making the bet with Gunn Angel was giving out more deathly glares and getting more stressed then usual. "So Buffy did you enjoy the party?" Gunn asked still smirking

"What party?" Dawn asked

"Yeah I did" Buffy replied shyly ignoring Dawn

"But you went early though didn't you?

"What is this 21 questions?" Angel said defensively knowing what Gunn was doing. Gunn stopped just outside the school as the light turned red

"Could you just let us out here?" Buffy asked

"Why?"

"It's nothing personal or anything its just well I don't really want people to see me... Well people will start talking wont they" Buffy pushed the door open and dragged Dawn out

"I think Ms Summers might be ashamed of you" Gunn chuckled making Angel wonder "She said nothing personal, you're taking it personal"

"Will you shut up for one minuet" Angel snapped

"Peerrriiiooood" Gun whistled

"I'm sorry its just she's really confusing, one minuet you think you know her the next it's a different story" Angel sighed to himself, he was actually falling for Buffy even though he didn't know it

"Will!" Buffy called running to catch up with Willow who looked like she was half asleep "Wow, you sure don't look well"

"I'm not, I can't even remember how I got home last time never mind what time and I vaguely remember how I got here, I think it was the bus." Willow Wailed clutching her stomach

"Maybe you shouldn't have come in today?"

"And miss a day of school because I was partying too hard? I don't think so" The two girls walked into Sunnydale High, it was as if someone threw a party there, well they did. Principal Snyder was standing at the door looking to kill someone, his evil stare focused on Buffy

"Summer's do you know anything about this?" He snarled

"Uh... No"

"Assembly, now! Get a move on." The two girl's power walked down to the main hall as quick as they could but not before over hearing Snyder telling a fellow teacher that everyone who was involved in the party would get expelled.


	14. The Explulsar odour

Chapter 14

The whole hall sat silent as Principal Snyder Spoke in front of the whole school

"Disappointed is not the word I would use to describe what I'm feeling it's more like range, range that will get someone expelled. I promise every single one of you that when I find out who organized the party they won't even be able to get into another school as for the people that attended the party well in my book they are just as bad. Any one who has any information will come to me. I will be keeping a close eye on the usual suspects" Buffy could feel Snyder's eyes gazing at her but she didn't dare look up just in case she had guilty written on her forehead "That is all you may all go back to your classes" Everyone stood up at the same time, no one dared speak until they were out of the hall. All that could be heard was the echo of people's feet on the gym like floor.

"We are in so much trouble I knew we shouldn't have gone, I knew this was going to happen. I'm going to get expelled aren't I? I'm never going to get into a college, my life is over before it has ever started, and I'm going to be working in the drive through at The Doublemeat Palace" Willow babbled finding it hard to breath

"I think she might be hyperventilating" Buffy whispered to Xander

"I thing you might be right. Calm down, you are not going to get expelled, your life isn't over and you're deftly not going to be working at The Doublemeat Palace. Nearly half the school was at that party I doubt he's going to expel everyone that was there" Xander reassured her but made Buffy panic

"No he'll just expel the people he doesn't like, great my life is over, I'm the one that's going to be working at The Doublemeat Palace." Buffy whined, it was no secret that Snyder had it in for Buffy, ever since he replaced Principal Flutie he had been looking for a reason to expel Buffy and if he found out she was at the party she would probably be the first to go

"All this negative thinking is making me feel paranoid, as far as I'm concerned yesterday never happened" Xander smiled confidently not noticing that Principal Snyder was behind him

"What happened yesterday then Harris?" He asked suspiciously. Buffy bowed her head, looking at her feet while Willow walked off pretending she wasn't apart of the convocation but there was no need, when Snyder saw Gunn he immediately walked over to him "Charles I want to see you in my office, I smell detention"

"Do you think he knows?" Gunn asked Angel when Snyder was finally gone

"No, not yet anyway. He won't expel us, we're athletes, he would rather win a trophy for the school, silly old man"

"I hope so because unlike you my mother won't be able to afford sending me to a private school so its goodbye education goodbye future. What we got first?"

"Gym" Angel replied examining his schedule "Seen Kate today?"

"We broke up yesterday, we had a row because I wasn't paying enough attention to her needs but then she told me the only reason she dated me was to get close to you and then I would tell you how good she was and then you would date her, women ey"

"Tell me about it, I'm going to have a mouthful from Cordelia later. She turned up to Spike's party and was looking for me but I just ran off with Buffy, couldn't be bothered to listen to her you know"

"What do you guys talk about?" Gunn asked curiously, the reason he asked was because he could never have a decent conversation with her, that's all that came out of her mouth was shoes, clothes, insults and well more insults

"Just stuff. Mostly stuff about her but then it's the occasional how I am and then it's the other stuff" He smirked nodding to himself

"Oh I think I can guess what the other stuff is." Gunn chuckled "Oh she is fine" Gunn bit his lip as he watched Winifred Burkle walk down the corridor hands full of books

"I've always thought that, what she doing locking herself away in the science lab all the time" Angel added

"I can think of a few things" Gunn Smirked, Angel took one look at him and laughed

"Your sick you know that, is that all you ever think about?"

"Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same because I know you were and you can't say much you're with Cordelia, says it all"

"Ever thought I might like her?"

"Don't bullshit me if she wasn't putting out then you wouldn't be with her, speaking of Cordelia I think I'm going to leave you two to it" Gunn hurried away before the drama even started. Followed by Harmony and Anya

"I've thought about it. If I can forgive Harmony then I can forgive you" Cordelia said like she had just made a life changing decision, Harmony stood behind her looking very uncomfortable but Angel stood in silence not knowing what she was on about "I know you don't deserve it but I cant help it that I'm such a great person so anyway I was at the part last night and well I didn't you there at all. I saw Spike and he told me you were there, somewhere. So I told Riley I was going to the dance with you, I think I might have broken his heart, bless him but it's all sorted. Me and you we're going to be great. About the dance I was thinking red, me in a red dress and you in a red tie so that we match because we have to match, if we don't match then kiss goodbye to king and queen and if I'm not queen then there's no point going. See you later then" She kissed Angel on the cheek then strutted down the hall in her Jimmy Choo heels

"Well actually Cordy I'm not going to the dance with you, I don't really like you, I think you're annoying and self centred" Angel muttered to himself watching her walk away

"You know they say talking to your self is the first sign of madness" Buffy laughed

"Well with a girlfriend like that I think I'm going mad" Every time Angel mentioned Cordelia Buffy's couldn't help but feel her stomach turn "So what was earlier about? You just ran out of the car what you ashamed to be seen with me or something?"

"On no don't think that because I'm not it's just your Angel O'Neil and girl coming out of the same car as you well I know what people would say because if I saw it I would say the same"

"I'm sorry" Angel spoke quietly

"Why?" Buffy asked confused, he had nothing to apologise for

"Obviously our friendship is an inconvenience, if you don't want to hang out any more that's fine but you've been a really good friend, thanks"

"Angel no, of course I want to hang out, that's not what I meant I just don't want people thinking that its something more then hanging out because lets be honest here when's the last time a girls come over to your house and that's all you done was hang out?"

"Probably when I was 11, yup when I was 11"

"Talk about getting an early start, how old was you when you, no don't tell me I don't think I want to know" From the water fountain Xander watched Buffy and Angel talking, they were looking to cosy for his liking, what was Buffy thinking? Did she realise who she was talking to? He hoped she was ready for getting her heart broken "Shit! I have to go I'm late for French" Buffy said looking at the clock

"Ill see you later though wont I?"

"If you're lucky" Buffy winked before running off to her history lesson. All of a sudden she had a new confidence, where it came from who knew but it only recently surfaced.

"Willow" Buffy whispered from the desk behind her "Yesterday I stayed at Angel's but you have to..."

"OH MY LORD!" Willow gasped a bit too loud

"Keep quite about it" Buffy finished the end of her sentence although there was no point really

"Sorry, quite Willow now, you won't hear a peep out me so what happened then? Did you and him make sweet music?"

"Willow! No we didn't, he was a gentleman didn't even try anything which surprised me a bit"

"And disappointed you, part of you wanted him to try something didn't it" there was no point Buffy hiding it Willow could read her like a book

"I saw a different side of him, he was completely different to the vain stuck up jerk he is in school. I think I like him" Buffy wailed burying her face into her hands, it was all so stressful falling for the most popular guy in school

"This is major! Are you sure because it's a big thing to say especially when he's going out with Cordelia cause that girl wont go down without a fight but no need to worry leave it to me and we will have her flying the white flag"

"Your talking like this is some kind of war, its not it really isn't. Yeah I like him but that's all, like you said he's with Cordelia, I'm not going to get in between them so that's why you have to keep it quite, I'm just going to avoid him until these feelings go away" Buffy had obviously thought this through

"Feelings don't just go"

"If feelings can just come then I'm sure they can just go"

"I think you should tell him, it's so romantic almost like a film"

"And what? We drive of into the sunset. Somehow I don't think so, he's like a million air"

"Multi million air" Willow corrected smugly

"Not helping" Buffy sang "He's like Brad Pitt of Sunnydale and I'm no one"

"Bit of an over statement there"

"Jeeze thanks"

"Oh not the part about you being no one. Buffy your beautiful, you have a great personality any guy would be lucky to have you so just do us all a favour and tell him because I really don't want to be hanging out with a miserable Buffy Summers, it's not the one I know"

"Thanks Will, I'm going to tell him. Lunch time I am going to tell him" Buffy smiled confidently staring out of the window, she saw a knew world, a word of possibility's, a world where anything could happen and she liked that new world, it made her feel like she could achieve anything


	15. Girls Can Be So mean

Chapter 15

The long wait for lunch finally came; there was only one person who wished it hadn't, Buffy Summers. It was at Lunch time Buffy said she would tell Angel how she really feels, she was now starting to have second thoughts. Everyone was going about they're business like usual, the cheerleads were giggling in the corner of the hall probably making fun of someone, the nerds were doing the home work that they were just given, the jock's were throwing a ball around the cafeteria, the Goth's were sitting in a corner listening to they're heavy metal, the rebels were in the toilets smoking and that's were Faith Lehane was. Faith had a hard life; her mother was an alcoholic and her father? Well she didn't really know much about him except he walked out on her mother when he found out she was pregnant. Her life was falling to pieces before it could even start, you name it Faith had done it, she wasn't proud of herself for doing the things she did, far from it but it was like a release, the drug's they made her happy, the nicotine made the stress go away, the sex made her feel loved even if it was only for a few minuets but in reality Faith had never felt love, not the proper kind of love, not the strong positive emotion of regard and affection. She jumped as she heard the cubical next to her being locked, quickly she stubbed the cigarette out on the toilet then popped her head out to see who it was

"Oh it's just you, I thought it might have been Snyder, he's been looking for an excuse to expel me"

"You too hey" The young blond replied

"Buffy Summers isn't it?" Faith asked recognizing her. It was a bit of a shock to Buffy, Faith only spoke to her group of people because well she wasn't the friendliest of people not even Cordelia would dare insult her and Cordelia insulted everyone

"Uh yeah…" Buffy said unsure

"Don't look so worried B" Faith reassured like they had known each other for years "You haven't got any green on you by any chance?"

"Green?"

"Weed, skunk, pot…"

"No, I don't do any of that"

"Fair enough" Faith shrugged "So I seen you at the party yesterday leaving with Angel, I thought I'd tell you to be careful"

"You've got it so wrong, it wasn't like that at all, me and Angel are just friends and yesterday when I left with him well we just hung out that's al. I'm not the type of person to just, well you know"

"I'm not judging if anything I know what he's like, he can be the sweetest person, telling you all these nice things, showing you things you've never seen before yeah it's all great until he rips your heart out and believe be he will because that's what he does"

"Are you speaking from experience?" Buffy queried

"Would it make you feel better if I told you?"

"Probably not but it would be nice to know"

"When I was a sophomore I was at this party, had a few beers started dancing on some tables, I fell off and Angel caught me. We both had a few more beers and I'm not sure who was more drunk but we went back to his house well hotel more like they have like a million rooms. I think you can guess the rest of the story but in the morning I woke up he was already in the shower when I woke and he just said when I was ready he would give me a lift home. The night before he might as well have promised the world to me and then he was so cold. It's not like I'm not used to it because I am but for once I would like to wake up to someone who will smile at me, have breakfast with me and then get a coffee together but hey I'm alright the way I am" Faith had never felt sorry for herself and she wasn't about to start now

"Don't give up" Buffy smiled before leaving Faith in her smoke room.

"So you told him yet" A very smug voice said behind Buffy

"Well actually…"

"No." Willow said knowing what Buffy was about to say

"But you don't understand"

"I think I do, he's in the cafeteria, come on." Willow looked at Buffy's face of despair and felt sorry for her "You can do this, your young, beautiful and confident, can't forget confident because we all know that's how Angel likes them"

"Yeah a little too confident"

"Buffy" Willow moaned

"Ok sorry. I can do this, I'm young, beautiful and confined. Isn't saying all this supposed to make me believe it?" Buffy stopped suddenly when she realized she was in the cafeteria. Angel stood three feet away from her, he was laughing with all his friends, Gunn was to his left, Percy to his right and the rest of the football team surrounded her. Willow pushed her into his direction so she walked over slowly going over what she was going to say in her head. She was ready. She was going to do this. She was confident. She was beautiful. It felt like her future was set that was until a certain stuck up cheerleader walked right up to Angel and kissed him, Buffy then turned her body slightly to the left trying to walk casually away

"What are the dinner lady's trying to kill us with today?" Xander asked taking a seat next to Willow and examining her food

"It looks like jelly but it tastes like well something I've never tasted before" Willow prodded her folk into the green wobbly thing

"I can't do it" Buffy whined taking a seat opposite Xander

"Cant do what?"

"Buffy" Willow scolded "What happened to confident and beautiful? You can do it just walk on over to him and tell him how you feel"

"I tried, I really did. I was walking; about to do it and then I saw him kiss Cordelia"

"Angel? You have feelings for Angel? Great my best friend likes the one person I hate with a passion! Not just hate Buffy, hate with a passion. WITH A PASSION!"

"Yeah heard you the first time" Buffy said not taking any notice of how angry he was

"He was kissing Cordelia?" Willow sounded surprised, Buffy didn't know why, Cordelia was his girlfriend

"I think you got so caught up in the Buffy and Angel thing you forgot about his girlfriend" Buffy said not realizing Cordelia was passing, she had heard what Buffy just said and turned straight around

"Buffy and Angel?" She began "Who the hell do you think you are. if you're not going to answer then I will for you. You're no one you hear me, no one. You think you have the slightest chance with Angel?" Cordelia looked deep into Buffy's eyes and burst out laughing "Oh my god you do. Girls have you heard this, Buffy Summers thinks she has a chance with Angel" Harmony and the rest of the Cordettes laughed except for Anya who gave Buffy a sympathetic look "People like him don't belong with people like you, your lucky he even talks to you but I bet that's only out of pity. I'm not even going to warn you to stay away because really you think you can really compete with me? I know who I would rather be with. Oh and Willow nice dress" Even after Cordelia had gone the three friends could still hear her chuckling

"Don't listen to her, she's just jealous"

"As much as I hate to say it but she's right Buff."

"How could you say such a thing?" Willow cried defensively

"Angel's a bastard we all know that. You've never even considered him before and now that you've spent the night you have feelings." Buffy looked at him surprised, she thought the only person who knew about that was Willow, Gunn, Spike and Kathy "Yeah I know, I overheard you till Will by here, forgot to mention it to me though didn't you. Obviously you thought it was wrong or you won't be in such a hurry to hide it. Had a good rump in the bunk then did you? Was he good? Does he live up to his reputation?"

"It wasn't like that" Buffy whispered looking down at the table

"Oh no what was it like then?"

"Xander please, this isn't the time" Willow tried to make him stop but it was like he was on auto pilot

"Come on Buff, we're all dying to know. Hey I've got an idea why don't you tell the rest of the girls and then you could win a place in the popular circle cause I heard the only reason they're in that circle is because they've slept with some rich senior

"Shut up! I'm tired of this, and not like it's any of your business but me and Angel didn't have sex. I stayed in his spare bedroom and he was really nice even made me breakfast in the morning. Just because you don't like him doesn't mean the rest of us cant." Buffy slammed her first down on the table making it shake before storming off

"Well done" Willow snarled before running after her best friend. Xander sat at the table alone wondering if he had just pushed his only friends away

Angel was beginning to feel Claustrophobic in the tight circle that surrounded him. The whole cheerleading squad was trying to talk to him at the same time the football team was, he didn't have a very good concentration spam so that's all he was hearing was party and the big game but what big game he didn't yet know.

"The away game then, want to share a room with me?" Nina purred. Usually Angel would have given her 100 oh his attention but he was to busy watching Buffy storm out, she looked really upset

"Excuse me for a minuet, I have something to do" Nina frowned as she watched Angel walk away from her

"What's with him?" Gunn asked, Nina just shrugged still feeling rejected but Percy was going to see to that

"Hey Buffy wait up" Angel called trying to catch up with her but she wasn't the only one

"I don't think you comforting her is a good idea, go back to your girlfriend" Willow said not trying to sound harsh

"Have I done something to upset her?" Angel asked watching her go into the pale pink toilet door

"No it's not you, just leave her cool off before you start questioning her"

"Your probably trying to be a good friend and I respect that but when I see someone upset as that well what can I say I'm too good of a person" Angel followed her into the women's toilet making Willow gasp at his extreme rule break


	16. Faith

Chapter 16

Faith had just lit up another cigarette when Buffy burst in sobbing making Faith panic again and throw the cigarette down the toilet

"Buffy? Shit, you could have at least said it was you, I've thrown away two fags because of you" Faith noticed Buffy was crying "Don't cry B, Its not that big a deal" The door opened again and both Buffy and Faith looked to see the newest member of the toilet club, it was someone that neither of them would ever expect

"It's alright in here isn't it, nice and roomy" Angel said looking around. Faith tutted

"It's not like you've never been here before" Faith remarked. Buffy bit her lip wondering what Faith was on about while Angel knew what Faith meant but didn't know how she knew. "You really want to go somewhere more private for when you uh entertain in school grounds"

"What?" Angel asked surprised

"Well let's just say the end cubical is always occupied, even when you think its not"

"You have sex in school!" Buffy couldn't help raise her voice; she was so shocked and at the same time hurt

"It's not something I'm proud of"

"Please" Faith grunted. Angel shot a dark look at her

"I am so stupid" Buffy hit herself in the head with her palm "Every time I think your a good person I keep being reminded that your not"

"That was the old me I've changed" Angel pleaded, it wasn't a lie because he had changed, a bit

"You can't change in four days"

"Well I'm trying to change, whatever but I'm thinking differently Buffy and it's because of you. Yesterday normally I would have gotten into your bed with you but I didn't, at first I thought I was going gay or something but it was because I respect you, god I'm starting to sound like a virgin"

"You are unbelievable!" Buffy shouted "You want to know something? I had feelings for you, I was about to tell you then I saw you kissing Cordelia and then bam!"

"Bam?"

"Yeah, Bam, reality hits me. People like you don't change; you just go through life thinking you can have everything you want and I was fooling myself thinking that you were a different"

"Well that's a bit unfair" Angel felt really hurt but he knew she was right, he hadn't completely changed, he just had these feelings that told him it was wrong to do was he was doing. Buffy barged past him to get out of the toilets, it was all too much for her, he was too much for her.

"Well you handled that well" Faith shrugged she liked Buffy, surprisingly "You haven't got any green on you by any chance?"

"Actually" Angel pulled the small plastic bag out from his pocket that he had bought from a student in his algebra class "Do you want to roll or shall I?" Angel grinned. He was really trying to give up the smoking what with the new football season and all but at the moment he felt like he really needed something. Faith grinned seeing the green plant being put into three papers joint together.

"Buffy what happened?" Willow asked genuinely concerned seeing that her friend was really annoyed

"I give up, I really do. You try to see the good in people but what happens when there is no good? What happens when the persons the same wanker that walks around thinking he owns the place and that you're just a complete twat for thinking otherwise" Buffy sighed. She didn't want to give up she really didn't but every good thought of him was suddenly ruined by the reminder of who he was, what he's done, how he treats people

"I don't want to make excuses for him because I've known him longer then you; when you were in L.A he was a complete B a s t a r d" Willow spelt out "But that's the way he's been raised. Everything in his life he's never had to work for, it's all been given to him on a plate so there's o real surprise he's an idiot but when he's with you, I don't know it's like you both belong together, the chemistry between the two of you its, its unbelievable" Willow looked into Buffy's emerald eyes, her naked lashes blinking back the tears of what Willow had just told her, it was so beautiful but untrue. Angel was responsible for his own actions and she couldn't believe Willow was defending him and blaming it on his upbringing. Without saying another world to Willow Buffy turned hazily around and walked towards Sunnydale High exit "Where you going?" Willow asked still worried

"I just need some air" Buffy decided. Once she was outside she sat on the wooden bench under a massive tree, what kind of tree she didn't know, she was never one for observing nature

"Buffy Summers right?" Riley Finn said sitting to on the bench next to her. He hadn't spoken to the beautiful blonde since her drunken night at the bronze and was beginning to think she couldn't remember him. Buffy tried to act like she didn't notice him, if she wanted company she would have stayed with Willow but it was to late, he was sitting right next to her, it would have been rude not to talk "I don't know if you remember me but I was at the bronze and well you were going to come home with me but then you're friends came and rescued you"

"I remember you" Buffy said, she was tired of rich popular people thinking that they were gods gift

"I'm glad. I was only asking because that night you were steaming" Riley chuckled trying to think of something to talk about quickly before she walked away from him

"Yeah" Buffy really wasn't interested and wanted to be left alone, she thought she was making it clear so why wasn't he getting the hint?

"What you been doing then?"

"Nothing" Buffy didn't even try to hide the tone of her voice, the one that was telling the young man with mousy brow hair to get lost

"You seem upset, want to talk about it?" He thought about putting his hand on her arm but decided not to what with the mood she was in

"I don't even know you, not really anyway and you think I'm going to talk to you about my problems, typical"

"Sometimes it's better to talk to a stranger besides I'm told I have really good listening skills" Riley smiled forcing Buffy to smile, she had given in

Angel stood outside at the bottom of Sunnydale High steps chuckling silently as the effects of the mild sedative were still taking affect. He could feel all of his muscles relaxing and all of his worries didn't seem so worrying that is until he saw Riley Finn sitting next to Buffy just feet from him. His muscles were now tensing and all of the effects of the substance he had smoked were wearing off. Everyone knew the reason Riley hated Angel but only three people knew the reason why Angel hated Riley.

"Well this all looks friendly" Angel nearly hissed standing in front of the two. An overwhelming feeling pounded in his gut. He wanted to rip Riley's head off just for looking at her never mind being that close. Angel had never experienced jealousy before; there was no reason for him to. When he was small he used to see other children with the latest toys but he was always the first one to get it then when he got a bit older he never had to be jealous of guys because if he wanted someone then he would have her but now it was different, Buffy wasn't just anyone

"I don't think she wants to speak to you" Riley got up and stood face to face with Angel. The height difference wasn't much but Angel was taller

"Get out of my face before I cause some serious fucking damage" Angel roared clenching his fist. Buffy bounced from the bench standing in between the two seniors trying to calm it all down

"What the hell! I can talk to who I want" Buffy yelled

"I'm not saying you can't but him" Angel gave Riley a disgusting look, Riley grinned as he did so "I'm just going to tell you to be careful, don't trust him Buffy, if you do it'll be the greatest mistake you've ever made"

"Wasn't it you that had sex with his girlfriend?" Buffy asked already knowing the answer

"You don't know the whole story" Angel tried to explain but the petit blonde was having none of it

"I know all I need to know so don't come over here acting like a cave man when it's you in the wrong!"

"Angel, man, you know I'm willing to forgive you if you just say sorry, that's all I've ever asked" Riley gave Angel a soft smile which Angel knew was fake but he couldn't see why Buffy couldn't see through it

"Smile at me like that again and I will cave your teeth in" Angel was really trying to keep his temper in control but seeing Riley looking smug acting like he was the victim was really making Angel angry "Don't push me boy because you will regret it" Angel stepped forward but Buffy moved to stand completely in the middle with her hand against Angel's chest stopping him from coming any closer

"You should be glad Riley is ready to forgive. Do you know how hard it is for a person to forgive something like that?" It was obvious to Angel that Buffy wasn't moving any time soon so stepping closer to her he whispered

"Don't trust him Buffy" Angel then walked back into the school, he was so tempted to tell her what Riley had done, why he had slept with his girlfriend but he doubted she would have believed him.

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_A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated in __AGES.__ I would love to give you all an excuse but I haven't got one. I'll try to update as soon as I can. Thanks_


	17. Charles Gunn

_A/N: I finally updated! Yay me. Right I have now made it my mission to finish this fic as soon as, hopefully in the next month or so, latest Christmas. I'm not sure how long it's going to be but what I do know is that I'm not even at the middle of the story yet. I know seventeen chapters and they're still not together but I don't believe it happy endings until its truly the end and well it's not, far from it so there's still a lot of Riley and Cordelia to come. I'm trying to update as soon as I can but I got two other fics and I've just started another one, I know I take ages to update three what am I going to be like with four but I'm not going to publish the fourth one until I finish at least one fic. The only reason I started writing the fourth was because I just had this massive idea for that fic, I babble a lot, sorry about that. Anyway on with the fic...  
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Chapter 17

Everything was spinning in Angel's head. What the hell happened? Did Buffy really blow him off for Riley? Surely it must have all been a terrible dream, it had to be right? Gunn's voice behind the tall muscular star football player confirmed that it wasn't it dream, that it had happened

"You coming to the bronze tonight?" Gunn asked opening the door to his silver truck

"No, Kathy's not feeling well, I promised her I'd be home tonight" Gunn nodded, he knew what it was like to look after his sister. Unlike Angel Gunn didn't have a billion dollar company, houses in every state. His parent had died awhile back and since he didn't want to go into care he took care of himself as well as his sister. Selling drugs on a street corner was how he took care of himself and Alonna; it's also how he met Angel. There was also Nana Gunn but she couldn't look after herself never mind two teenagers so Gunn took it upon himself to make sure she was alright. With only Nana Gunn's pension as income it wasn't enough to feed three mouths or pay the mortgage of the tiny two bedroom house on the bad side of Sunnydale. That's when Gunn got into dealing drugs; he had met some people that introduced him to his life of crime. Selling drugs came easy to the tall black man. That's all he had to do was stand on the street corner waiting for someone to come along, of course he had to be careful he wasn't selling to a undercover cop. The money started off good but Gunn saw that there was more and more kids coming to him for some heavy stuff, a bit of weed he didn't mind selling them but to sell twelve year olds heroin, that was something he couldn't do, wouldn't do. Word got around that Charles Gunn weren't selling kids gear anymore so gradually he started loosing customers and that's when he got into the car jacking business. It was riskier then dealing had a bigger rush and at the end of it he would get thousand's in cash. Angel O'Neil was a little spoilt rich kid from the really good side of town was all Gunn thought until Angel was his partner on a job. At fist Gunn just thought that he was a bored rich kid that wanted a bit of fun, he was right that's all Angel wanted. He wasn't in the stealing business for the money; he didn't need it unlike Gunn. They became good friends after that but after Angel and Gunn got arrested the life 

of crime stopped. Angel's father got him the best lawyers, well owning a law firm and all. They blamed everything on Gunn, they were supposed to anyway but once Angel knew what the plan was he stood up in court, fired his lawyer and represented himself. He told the judge that Charles Gunn had nothing to do with stealing the nice little Porsche. A fine of £100,000 was all he had to pay; it wasn't like he couldn't afford it. And that's how Charles Gunn and Angel O'Neil became friends.

"She going to be alright?" Gunn didn't know what was wrong with Kathy, Angel wouldn't really say but what he did know was that the family was messed up then any family he knew and he knew a lot of people with dysfunctional families

"Yeah, she'll be fine she just need me at the moment you know" Gunn nodded "You going to stay out of trouble though right"

"I'm only going to the Bronze isn't like I'ma rob a bank" Gunn laughed although he was glad that Angel. The drive to Angel's large home was a silent one with only the hip hop music from the radio making a noise. Angel climbed out of the four by four; he was just going to close the door when Gunn Spoke "Aren't you going to ask me in?"

"I thought you had a bank to rob?" Angel joked then closed the door.

"See you later then" Gunn rolled down the window and watched as Angel entered his own home then he drove off to get ready for the Bronze

"Hello?" Angel called into the empty space of the hallway "Kathy?" At the sound of her name Kathy came running down the stairs with a big smile on her face

"Angel" She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a hug then pulled back and looked around him "Where's that girl you were with this morning? I liked her, she was so much nicer then Cordelia and the other girls you usually bring home" Angel couldn't look at his sister. They were so close but every time he brought someone home she would either lock herself in her room or be a right bitch to them but for some reason she didn't do that to Buffy. Maybe it was because she saw the young girl at her weakest, who knows. Kathy looked into Angel's hazel eyes and saw his feelings in his black pupils "She found 

out that you weren't a very nice person?" Kathy joked but looking into Angel's eyes it wasn't a joke

"I don't want to talk about it" Angel still couldn't look his sister in the eye

"So I won't be seeing her again then?" Kathy sighed. Angel walked right past her into the living room. Picking up the phone he dialled several numbers

"Hey baby" He said into the phone "Yeah I know sorry about that, come round and I'll make it up to you" Kathy rolled her eyes, her brother was back.

"Who was that? It wasn't Cord..."

"Kathy don't start alright" Angel snapped "I'm not in the mood so why don't you go out or something or lock yourself in your room just go and do something ok" Kathy felt the tears filling her eyes, she ran up the stairs slamming her bed room door. Angel looked in to the mirror and sighed. What the hell did people expect from him?

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Riley opened his car door for Buffy who smiled at him before getting into the car. Riley was such a gentleman she thought. Getting into the driver's eat Riley pulled on the seat belt to strap himself in

"Coffee then? Any place in particular you'd like to go?"

"I don't really mind" Buffy paused looking at herself "Uh Riley, you couldn't take me back to my house so I could get changed could you?" She blushed slightly; she didn't want to be a pain but didn't feel comfortable enough to go out anywhere in the burrowed clothes she was wearing

"Of course although you look stunning as you are" Riley smiled at her taking his eyes off the road for a second. Buffy blushed an even redder colour than her cheeks already were. Never had she been spoken to so sweetly in her short life

"Thanks" Buffy gave a girly giggle

"I like you're laugh" Riley pulled up in front of the drive way of Buffy's house, he was just going to undo his seat belt when Buffy stopped him

"My mother is a bit weary when I bring guys home so if you don't mind waiting for me here"

"That's fine" Riley said watching Buffy run into her house.

"Mom, I'm home. Is it alright if I go out for a bit?" Buffy called then she ran upstairs into her room. Opening her wardrobe she pulled out light blue jeans and a leopard print top to go with her leopard print dolly shoes. It was the middle of winter but it was so warm outside.

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Cordelia stood outside the O'Neil mansion in a tiny denim skirt and a skimpy halter neck top. She thought that there was no point in putting a lot of clothes on since it would only make more trouble removing it all. The door opened to reveal Angel's dark eyes looking at her skimpy top that would soon be on his floor

"Hey gorgeous" Angel pulled her into his house. The first thing he did was push her up onto the wall. His hands roamed her body as he tongue battled with hers. Before they could even start removing the layers that separated them Angel's cell phone rang

"Leave it" Cordelia murmed unbuckling her boyfriends belt

"Hello?" Angel flipped open his cell phone. Cordelia sighed suddenly not feeling lost in the moment any more she went into the living area and put the TV on

"_Guess who's in bronze?" Gunn said on the other end of the phone_

"Who?"

"_Riley and guess who he's here with? No actually I'ma tell you. Buffy, he's here with Buffy Summer's so pay up now man"_

"No way. I told you I'll do it and I will" Angel said hiding his true feelings. The moment Gunn had told him his heart had sunk. Angel closed his phone and stood on his knees on the living room floor facing Cordelia "Don't be like that"

"Like what I'm not being like anything" Cordelia didn't even look at him. She was so annoyed, every time they were going to have sex he always had some sort of excuse not to, she was beginning to wonder if something was wrong

"Come on we're going to the bronze" Angel lifted her over his shoulders

"Angel put me down!" Cordelia screamed but stopped once she felt Angel's cool lips kiss the dimples on her back as he top lifted up her back


	18. Everyones Has Secrets

Chapter 18

The room stopped still as the couple walked through the door, within seconds everyone was back to their businesses. Cordelia spotted they're average crew at a round table in the corner of the bronze. She took Angel's hand and pulled him towards them. Angel didn't even notice when he was standing in front of the table, he was so busy watching Buffy blush as Riley stroked her hair out of her face

"For fuck's sake" Angel threw his clenched fist on the table making the liquid that was in the full glasses spill from the impact. Cordelia looked at him full of questions in her eyes wondering what got him so wound up

"Period" Gunn whistled. It amused him how one girl could get him so annoyed. Granted she was pretty but then again so was Cordelia and everyone else that was sitting at the table but Gunn could hardly judge, he had been in love with Winifred Burkle since the moment he saw her in the science lab

"Have you found a dress yet Cordy?" Nina Ash asked. Nina had medium length hair, just below the shoulders. She was very pretty and a nice girl although her niceness was usually taken advantage of

"I found two." Cordelia put her perfectly manicured hands on the table "One is sort of light pink, it comes up above the knee and has all sequins on the chest. I'm not actually sure about, I think it looks a bit like a fairy dress and then there's this gorgeous red dress that Tom Ford himself designed." She bragged "I think I'm going to go with the red one so then Angel can wear a red tie because I can't see him wearing a pink sparkly one isn't that right?" She turned to Angel who wasn't even listening to what she was saying "Angel!"

"What?" He asked hazily cursing that he had stopped watching what Riley was up to. Cordelia took a deep breath and counted to five in her head. She didn't want to cause a scene, really she didn't but this was something that she couldn't stop from coming out

"I am sick of this! I thought it was gong to be different, really I did but it never is with you is it. Ever since you started talking to Buffy Summer's its like your not even here anymore, it's like your some where else. I try to tell myself that it's just 

me being silly but it's not is it? She's pretty yeah, I won't deny it but that's all she is Angel. If you want her then go, go to her but don't expect me to wait until you come to your senses" The table sat in silence. They were all used to Cordelia speaking her mind but when it came to Angel she usually bit her lip. If she ever had something to say then she would say it in private, not wanting anyone to know that their relationship was far from perfect. On the outside it seemed that way but only the people who knew them well knew the truth. It was never perfect; it wasn't even much of a relationship

Angel had to make a decision. Was he going to go back to his old self or change for the better? When he hung out with Buffy changing seemed so easy, every moment spent with her was another moment he regretted who he was, the things he done, how he treated people but seeing her giggle at Riley Finn's touch was enough to make changing seem impossible although it had already happened. He hadn't changed completely but the nerve in his brain which taught people right from wrong had started to work. He now knew his rights from wrong but that was something easy he could ignore, wasn't it? Fuck it he thought.

"Baby you know you're the only one" Angel put his arm around Cordelia pulling her into his lap. Cordelia smiled to herself, finally they could get back to normal but there was just one more test she had to put him through

"Why don't we ask Riley to come and sit with us?" She asked making patterns with her fingers on Angel's chest through his shirt. Gunn looked at Angel wondering what he was going to say

"Cordy" Nina gasped "Angel doesn't like him" She pointed out. Nina honestly thought Cordelia didn't know or that she forgotten or something

"Why?" Angel asked

"Well you and Buffy have become good friends haven't you? Your friends are my friends so I'm going to call them over" Cordelia got off Angel's lapped and he watched her walk over to the table Buffy and Riley were on. Buffy looked so surprised when Cordelia asked her to join them at they're table. Riley looked at Angel and smirking at him as he saw the anger flash his dark eyes. Cordelia walked back to the table followed by a confused and wearily Buffy.

"Hey Buffy isn't it?" Nina beamed. Cordelia gave her a look, no one caught the look except for Angel and then he knew that she didn't invite Buffy over here to be nice. Buffy nodded and smiled

"So Buffy here you are, around my friends. Feel any happier?" Cordelia sat back down on Angel's lap

"Excuse me?"

"Well it's what you've always wanted isn't it?"

"I...I don't understand"

Angel bowed his head, he knew what was coming and he was helpless to stop it. Cordelia was about to tear into her

"My Life!" Cordelia yelled "You try and steal Angel from me and when you cant have him you go after Riley. Is there anything else you want? The key's to my house maybe?"

"I don't want you're life" Buffy found it ridiculous that she could think such a thing. Why on earth would she want a cheating Boyfriend and friends who would ditch her for a item of clothing

"Hey everyone" Harmony saw Buffy in her seat at the table and frowned "Am I missing something?"

"No it seems Buffy here wants to kick my out of my circle of friends"

"I don't want to kick you out of anything" Buffy looked at Angel, her eyes said that he could jump in at anytime but he didn't, he couldn't look at her

"So you think you can kick me out?" Cordelia queried, she knew just how to twist things

"I didn't say that"

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. The only reason Angel even spoke to you was because he felt sorry for you, the only reason anyone like us will ever speak to is because we feel sorry for you. You are nothing, nobody here do you understand that? The only reason Riley is even here with you now is because he feels sorry for you" Buffy got up, she had enough. She didn't have to here this. Riley got up to go after her so did Angel. Cordelia put her hands on her hip but before she could even protest Angel spoke

"Don't" Angel snapped "Don't say anything, you were way out of line" He ran after Buffy to the bath room. Cordelia frowned and sat back down

"If it makes you feel better I don't think you were out of line" Harmony said "It's about time somebody put her in her place" Gunn shook his head, why did girls have to be so bitchy?

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"Buffy? Buffy are you in here?" Angel called from the women's toilet. Buffy pushed open the cubical door and starred at him

"Do you get confused when you see the lady's sign at the door or something?" Angel had followed her into the toilets twice now just when she wanted to be alone

"Buffy, I'm sorry"

"Why are you apologising? You weren't the one who said all those things to me"

"I should have stopped her, done something"

"Yeah you should have but you didn't, and that what's makes you different from Riley" The mention of Riley's name turned Angel's sad eyes red with rage

"I didn't see him stepping in" Angel pointed out in a harsh tone

"Cordelia's not his responsibility" Buffy matched the harshness of her voice with his

"She's not a dog Buffy. I can't put her on a lead, she had her own mind"

"Oh what a mind it is" Buffy laughed bitterly. It was no secret that Cordelia wasn't clever "Why did you follow me in here?" Angel looked into the mirror

"I wanted to check if you were alright and to... I want to warn you about Riley"

"Oh here we go"

"Buffy please listen"

"No you listen Angel. Riley, he's a good guy, he isn't like you"

"He isn't like because all his secrets aren't out in the open! Mine, all mine are laid out, there are no skeletons in my closet. I'm saying this because when you walk into his closet I don't want you to be surprised by what's in there"

"I know what's in there" Buffy pushed the door open to where Riley was waiting for her "Will you drive me home?" She asked him. He nodded his head and put his arm around her

"What was that about?" Cordelia asked when Angel came back

"I just thought you were being a bit harsh that's all"

"Ok, whatever" Angel touched her arm but she pulled away

"Your in a mood" He sighed

"Well what do you expect?"

"I told you, your the only one now come on we can go back to my place if you like" Angel helped Cordelia up and said goodbye to his friends walking out of the bronze with Cordelia


	19. The O'Neils

Chapter 19

The drive back to Buffy's was silent; Riley didn't know what to say, Cordelia had made Buffy feel so small back at the bronze and he knew Buffy wished he would have said something to her but he couldn't, he couldn't get on the wrong side of Cordelia Chase.

"Do you want me to uh walk you to your door?" Riley asked as he pulled up besides the pavement

"I'm alright" Buffy said not even looking at the young driver instead she kept both eyes on the door of her house wanting so much to just lock herself in her room and forget the evening even happened. As soon as the car door slammed shut Riley rested his head on the steering wheel

"Buffy wait" He called opening the door and running to catch up with her before she turned the key in the keyhole "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't want to sit by them and I didn't know Cordy was going to do that to you"

"Do what? Embarrass me in front of everyone I don't speak to? I would have rather her do it in front of my friends at least then I know they wouldn't be laughing at me"

"I'm sorry" Riley mumbled to the floor whilst Buffy sighed

"Don't be. It's not your fault and I shouldn't have expected you to say anything; I don't know why I did. Usually I can hold my own, I don't... I don't know why I'm so upset about what she said" Buffy never let Cordelia's harsh words get to her, never except for now. She didn't know what was different this time. Buffy's emerald eyes flashed as Riley moved closer to her. With one step forward for him Buffy took a step back surprised by what he was doing, it also made her wonder if what Angel said was true "What are you uh what the hell?"Buffy stuttered

"I was only going to give you a hug" Riley explained hoping that the move he pulled wouldn't keep Buffy from seeing him again. Buffy turned her head to the 

side and closed her eyes trying to push out the embarrassment she was now feeling

"Oh" She laughed, her cheeks turning back to they're normal pale color

"Well have a nice night" Riley finally said before walking back to his car. Half of him expected Buffy to run after him and kiss him deeply but the other half knew it wasn't going to happen. Once in his car he watched Buffy greet her mother then she turned and waved him goodbye.

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Angel sighed seeing the Aston Martin parked in the courtyard. It meant one thing; his parents were back from where ever they went. While Angel dreaded their visits, he laughed bitterly to himself at the word visit. Parents weren't supposed to visit their children, they were supposed to live with them, look after them but not his parents. It was unusual for them to come back during the winter because winter was when they went to places like the Caribbean or Africa to keep their all year round tan. Angel carefully opened the front door letting Cordelia in first, she smiled to herself when she heard Mrs. O'Neil's posh British ascent. Cordelia always liked Mrs and Mr O'Neil, they were good friends of her family and she admired Mrs O'Neil's shoe collection so much and the massive diamond rock that was on her wedding finger.

"Angel darling is that you?" Came the British voice from living area.

"Yeah Mom it's me" Angel sighed

"Hey Mrs O'Neil" Cordelia called. Out from the door came a beautiful woman with dyed blond hair and mossy green eyes. Her hair flowed all the way to her waist but most of it was extensions although only a professional would have been able to tell

"Cordelia, please call me Clarissa" Clarissa wrapped her arms around Cordelia's neck and kissed her twice, one kiss on each cheek then she moved on to her son who pulled away before she could even hug him

"What are you doing hear and where's Dad?" Angel asked not forgetting the fact that his parents never stayed around for more then a week

"Is that any way to speak to your mother?" Clarissa frowned at her son's negativity to her being there "Your father as gone to the dock, there are some items that we had to have shipped over. I bought a fabulous shirt for you Angel, you just have to see it and Cordelia I bought you a pair of Jimmy Choo's"

"Thank you that's so kind" Cordelia said with an even bigger smile on her face. Clarissa was always Cordelia's idol. No matter what she always looked so elegant even now when she was jet lagged she looked like a million dollars in her waist high checked skirt and a red jacket with large black buttons and a black belt across her waist. The black tweed shoe boots made her look taller then she actually was, only by three inches though.

"Angel, where's Katherine? I have something for her well I have a few things for her. I do wish your father would hurry home I want to get rid of all this vile furniture" Clarissa walked back into the living area followed by Angel who was very confused. Was she really going to re-furnish the entire house? "Will you be coming out to lunch with us Cordelia?"

"That would be very nice" Cordelia said noticing a man in a black striped suit measuring things

"Excellent, I was thinking of asking your mother and father to come as well. I haven't seen them in a very long time so we must have so much to catch up on"

"We're going out to dinner?" Angel asked keeping his eyes on the man in the suit. After eighteen years of having the woman next to him as a mother he knew better then to stop what was happening, what ever that was.

"You don't expect me to cook do you?" Clarissa brought her perfectly painted red nails to her matching red plump lips where the diamond on the finger next to the little finger sparkles as the light hit its many sides

"What the hell I s going on?" Kathy asked standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips in sweat pants and a plain white strappy top. Clarissa nearly had a heart attack seeing her daughter looking like she did. What happened to the little girl who was always in elegant dresses and ribbons on her curly hair? Now Kathy's chocolate copper hair had no wave in it at all, it was perfectly straight with many layers. Kathy's mouth opened as the man in the suit took her favorite painting of the old cabin off the wall "What are you doing?" She snatched the painting from the man and held it close to her

"Katherine! What's happened to you? You've put on so much weight now the clothes I bought for you are never going to fit" Kathy looked at her mother not knowing whether to laugh or be offended. She was a petit size four, under weight if anything

"Just because I'm not a size zero Mom"

"Throw that picture out will you Katharine, it has to place in this room anymore" Clarissa completely ignored what Kathy said about being size zero and carried on telling the architecture what she wanted "What do you think of this color?" Clarissa pointed at the pale orange color on the chart she was holding and Cordelia nodded her head agreeing

"Yeah I like that one but won't you get sick of the color?"

"Probably but I'll just re-decorate again when that time comes" Turning back to the man in the suit she pointed at the sofa "I want it all to look modern"

"You alright?" Angel asked Kathy who was still clutching the painting close to her chest

"I can't believe her, she just comes back in and starts insulting me. She hasn't even asked how I am. I'm going back upstairs I can't even be in the same room with her at the minuet" Kathy shook her head, no wonder she needed therapy

Once Angel heard Kathy's bedroom door shut he called his mother into the hallway

"What is it darling because I have a lot of work to do in case you haven't noticed" Clarissa turned so her side was facing Angel and pushed her hair up giving it more volume in the mirror

"Aren't you even going to ask how I am? What's been going on?"

"I trust you completely and even if I didn't I don't think I want to know what's been going on now please Angel I have to decide on the color scheme before we go out for dinner"

"What about Kathy? She's not well Mom"

Clarissa turned to face Angel her eyes begging him not to say anything more incase someone would over hear

"She did it again the other night. She took a few pills when I was at a party, it was just lucky I came home early" Angel told her keeping his voice low so no one would hear especially not Kathy. He knew she would freak with him if she found out he told someone

"Fine I'll get her an appointment with a psychiatrist" Angel couldn't help but glare at his mother and her non concern about his sister.

"She doesn't want a psychiatrist she wants you and Dad to be arrowed more"

"Angel how many times have we discussed this? Your father and I … Well your old enough to look after yourself and we enjoy traveling"

"So you don't care that Kathy's not stable" Angel couldn't help but raise his voice, he just hoped that no one else could hear him

"Of course I care she's my daughter"

"Could have fooled me" Angel muttered. Clarissa raised her hand and delivered a hard swipe across her son's cheek. He didn't even flinch as her hand collided with his face

"Don't you dare! I've tried to help Katherine; I've made her go see the top physiologist's in the country. I'm not stupid; I know you know why she's like she is. She cant get help if she wont talk about it so seeing as you're the only one that knows you're the only one who can get her the help she needs so think again when you want to play who's to blame Angel"

Angel stood in silence for a moment looking at everything he had. He had everything, almost everything except for the loving parents but it didn't bother him anymore, he was used to it

"Tell Cordelia something came up and don't expect me at lunch, I'll get something while I'm out" Angel slammed the door on his way to his car, his eyes still burning with rage as he got in and drove


	20. Playing Happy Familys

Chapter 20

The sun shined through the blinds of Buffy's room making her stir. Once awake she glanced quickly at the clock before pulling the covers over her head. She kicked her legs furiously on the mattress wishing she could have an hour more asleep. Once again the alarm clock beeped loudly

"Go away" Buffy screamed under the covers at the beeping clock. Dawn looked curiously at the screaming bundle underneath the covers. Quietly Dawn opened Buffy's wardrobe and pulled out a baby blue sweater then ran out before she noticed.

Buffy threw the covers off her instantly feeling the cold breeze from the window. She desperately wanted to crawl back into her bed, to the warmth but knew she couldn't.

"Buffy come on you're going to be late" Joyce called up the stairs waiting to take her two daughters to school.

"Ok" Buffy shouted down still half asleep

The hallway was filled with Dawn's voice going on about the latest scandal of Sunnydale's freshman year

"No" Dawn said into the phone "How are you going? I thought it was only for seniors? Who asked you? Who's he? Ok then I'll see you in school"

Buffy was just brushing her hair when Dawn burn into her room full of excitement

"Guess who's going to the winter dance?" She asked waving her phone in the air "Janice! Can you believe it she got invited by a senior! Cameron Walker! The one on the swim team. Has Angel asked you? Or is it Riley now? I saw you and him yesterday mind; god Buffy people are going to start to talk"

"Dawn!" Buffy snapped "Angel and I, well there is no Angel and I and Riley, well I don't know about that either"

Dawn looked at the floor looking anywhere but Buffy realising she had touched a nerve, a very big nerve.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The school corridor was crowded then usual with loads of people gathered around the TV screen in the corner of the corridor. Buffy noticed how people of all grades were there, freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. In Sunnydale High seniors never socialized with freshman they thought they were above everyone else. She wondered what the big fuss was about until she saw Willow's red hair glistering in the light

"Willow?" Buffy asked making the red haired turn around

"Buffy" Willow exclaimed in her normal chirpy tone

"What's going on?"

"Student body president" Willow sighed. Secretly she had always wanted to run but she didn't have the confidence to stand up in front of the whole school and panicked when people relied on her

"Why don't you run?" Ok so it wasn't a secret she wanted to run

"There's no point, have you seen who's running? How am I going to compete with them besides it's always the seniors that get to be student body president"

"Who's running?"

"What you haven't heard?" Willow gasped, there were poster's all around the school and the person on the school radio wouldn't shut up about it. Willow put both of her hands on Buffy's shoulder to turn her around where she faced a blue 

and white poster with four faces on it. The first face nearly made Buffy collapse to the floor in laughter. Harmony Kendall it said with a picture of Harmony in a very short dress smiling.

"Harmony's running? Why is running? Who the hell is going to vote for Harmony" Buffy giggled

"Well I think she's secured all the guy's vote. That's all she has to do is flash her ass and they'll all vote for her" Willow shook her head slowly

"Harmony's not a senior and she has a chance of winning so why don't you run?"

"Because I'm not going to lift my top up for a vote. Who would want to vote for boring old Willow anyway?"

"I would" Buffy smiled. The next picture was of another blond girl, a senior. Kate Lockley. She was sometimes friends with Cordelia but she wasn't one of her main friends. Kate was very strong willed and didn't care about the latest fashion like the rest of the girls she hung around with. Riley's picture was next to Kate's; he wasn't smiling just starring at the camera with a cold stair. Finally her eyes came to the end of the poster, to the person she really didn't want to see, the person that haunted her dreams. He was winking into the camera when the picture was taking and smirking devilishly.

"I hate politics" Buffy had to stop herself from screeching. Why must he torture her like this?

"Who you going to vote for?" Willow asked

"Kate probably, she's the only one that actually cares about the student body, you?"

"I don't know yet, I guess I'll listen to their speeches you know? Give them all a fair chance"

"Even Harmony?" Buffy couldn't help but let out a small chuckle

"Even Harmony" Willow confirmed with a sly smile

"Lady's" A voice said from behind the two girls, they both jumped at the fright then turned around to see Xander who was examining the poster "Student body president? Why don't you run Will?"

Willow opened her mouth to answer when Principle Snyder stopped in front of the group with a peevish frown on his face

"Summer's in my office now" He commanded. Buffy stood silent for a moment trying to think of what she had done to get him pissed but nothing could come to her mind unless he was blaming her for the party at the school

"Why?" She asked trying not to use any attitude

"I'll tell you when you're there!" He roared.

She picked up her bag and flung it around her shoulders dragging her feet as she walked to the brown door with the golden plack that said Principle's office. Buffy had been in the office many times, so many times that she could probably tell someone the entire layout of the room even.

The clock ticked away as she waited for Snyder to stop his corridor patrol and reveal what she supposedly done. The door opened to Buffy's relief, five more minuets of being stuck in the office and she would have exploded from boredom. She waited for Snyder to take his regular seat behind the desk but instead she heard a plump next to her as he sat in the seat besides her, that's when she realized it wasn't Snyder at all.

"You have got to be kidding me" She sighed. God must really hate her because everywhere she went he was there

"Nice to see you too Buff" Angel smirked his old playboy smirk "So what you do this time? Burn down another gym?"

For what felt like hours Buffy ignored his snide little comments, his attempts to start a conversation up with her until Snyder finally took a seat on his throne like chair

"I assume you know why you're here" Snyder said looking at Buffy

"Not really, I was just sitting innocently in home room when you dragged me out"

"Not you O'Neill" Snyder shot an annoyed glance at Angel which only added to his ammunition "Buffy it seems you history teacher thinks' you need a tutor to help you pass. I personally would let you fail but it's not up to me is it so Angel will tutor you"

A wade of emotion's filled Buffy's stomach as it felt like it was being tickled. What she was feeling couldn't be described, range, anger, lust, jealousy, delight, fear and distress, desire.

"I don't need a tutor" Buffy said in a cracked voice

"It's not up to you"

"I'm sure Angel has better things to do with his time then tutor me"

"Not really. You know me, I can always fit in time for studying" Angel beamed

"Good so it's settled now go back to your classes"

Angel was the first to leave the office quickly followed by Buffy whose eyes were like thunder and she was looking for someone to unleash the storm on

"What the hell?" She said through gritted teeth once they were in the now empty corridor. When Angel did nothing but smirk it made her even angrier "Well!"

"Well what? You needed tutoring, Snyder asked me and I agreed" Angel shrugged

"Just get away from me" Buffy shouted. Angel chuckled at how much she was over reacting

"Sorry can't do that. Senior's and juniors have sex ed together and since your a junior and I'm a senior I guess we have sex ed together"

"Great" Buffy muttered to herself walking through the corridor to get to the health class. The walk to class was weirdly silent, it was the first time she had seen Angel so quite. She looked at him through the corner of her eye, he still had that devilish smirk on his face as he whistled down the corridor. He stopped when they got to the class and gave the teacher the note from Snyder explain why they were both late

Cordelia looked at Angel then to Buffy, her heart started racing rapidly. Angel had cheated on her many time but him and Buffy was something she couldn't deal with, wouldn't.

"Where have you been?" She whispered to him as he took a seat in the empty place next to his angry girlfriend

"Snyder wants me to tutor Buffy" He shrugged

"And are you going to tutor her?"

"Yeah, why not?" Cordelia's eyes softened. They went from red with rage to clear as she struggled to keep back the tears "Are you jealous" He teased

"Angel" The teacher snapped.

"Hello?" He said in his cocky tone

"Since you and Ms Chase seem to be having such an intense conversation about the subject why don't you tell us what is the most common feared outcome of sex for young people?"

"Well that depends" Angel began. The teacher nodded for him to continue "With whom you have sex with. It could be one of those girl's who after you have sex with are all clingy and think your life long partners so then the most feared outcome of sex is commitment"

Buffy looked back at Angel, god he was so full of himself. She didn't know why she was angry at what he said; maybe it was because she was one of those girl's he was talking about. Of course she hadn't actually had sex but when she did she wanted it to be with the right person who she loved, not some random at a party.

"Well I was actually just looking for pregnancy but thanks for your opinion"

All of the guy's in the class were grinning smugly at Angel's statement and Buffy couldn't help to wonder if that's what they all thought

"Your assignment is" The blond teacher reached for something under her desk and pulled a heavy box up. Opening the box up she pulled out a mechanical baby by it's foot "In a minuet you'll all be pairing up, boy girl and you'll take on the task of parenthood. You will be assessed on your scores at the end of the week. How will you be scored you ask? The dolls have a program that registers if they've been mishandled, neglected or what ever. You must hold the doll the way you hold a baby, you must feed the baby with the bottled provided, you must change the baby, yes it does need changing. The baby will wake up in the middle of the night at different times each night just like a regular baby and it has got a thermometer so you must be sure the baby is dressed for the weather. When the baby cried it means either one of these things or it simply just wants attention. Treat this doll like it was a real child and you should all pass" She said holding the doll to her chest "Now pair up boy girl please"

The sound of chairs being pulled out and people running to the other side of the room echoed through the class

"No actually, I think I'm going to put you into pairs" The teacher said with a pleased look on her face "It will be like a result of a one night stand." She scanned the class wanting to put everyone with people they didn't really know. It would be a good chance to get to know them and good for the assignment "Cordelia Chase" She called out "And Xander Harris" Cordelia felt likes he had been slapped in the face

"But Miss" She began

"No, your partners are final, there will be no changing and you will be assessed on your partnership as well" The teachers smile rose even more "Harmony Kendall and Jonathan Levinson, Charles Gunn and..." She looked around to find a suitable partner. Her eyes settled on a shy girl with long brown hair "Charles Gunn and Winifred Burkle, Anyanka Jenkins and Riley Finn, Willow Rosenberg and Daniel Osborne, Buffy Summer's and Angel O'Neil"

The teacher continued to call out names but none of it registered to Buffy. Today really wasn't her day, first off Snyder tells her she's being tutored by Angel and she really doesn't have a choice in the matter and now she's having a baby with him, things couldn't get any worse.

"Well let's go get our baby" Angel chuckled behind Buffy putting his hands on her hips. She moved away from his hands and picked up one of the dolls and cradled it "Happy family's hey" Angel muttered

* * *

_A/N: I just want to thank everyone who's reviewed first off and as some of you might have noticed the fic is taking a bit of a turn into a different direction. I am going to warn you in chapters to come Angel is going to be a complete biatch. There will be some more Buffy and Riley and Angel and Cordelia among others. I know why cant Buffy and Angel just get together? Well because if they do then the story's practically over isn't it and I have plans for this fic. I'm not from America so I don't really know how the whole student body president thing works so if I get it wrong I'm sorry and just correct me._


	21. Your So Vain

_A/N: I just want to apologise if updates are less frequent. I do have an excuse; I'm back in school doing my A-Levels but I'll try and update as often as I can. Once again thanks for all the reviews._

* * *

Chapter 21

Xander and Buffy stood by Buffy's locker gathering her stuff so they could finally go home. Xander was holding Buffy's baby who she had yet to name while she rummaged in the metal box.

"Xander! Xander!" A voice was shouting from the other end of the corridor. Buffy grabbed her mechanical baby from him while he dealt with the mother of his child "I have a party tonight so you have to take it with you" She shoved the doll into his arms

"Were supposed to be doing this together" Xander told her

"Oh please, I'd rather be a single mother which is so not going to happen. By the way I've name it Paris and I'll drop some baby clothes by your house for it"

When Cordelia was out of sight Xander turned to Buffy who was laughing to herself

"She does know it's not a real baby right? She'll be having me for child support next"

"Well it looks like me and you going to be single parents throughout the assignments" Buffy said. She hadn't seen Angel since sex ed class but doubted very much he was going to help her with anything

"Not me, I'm locking this thing in the basement when I get home. There is no way a doll is going to wake me up in the middle of the night"

"But then you'll fail" Buffy stated obviously

"Yup and so will Cordelia" Xander grinned. Anything was worth seeing Cordelia's face when the teacher handed her a F. His smile quickly turned into a frown as a certain tall and dark haired guy strutted down the hallway, he stopped right in front of Xander pretending he wasn't there

"Where are you going?" Angel asked blocking Xander out.

"Home" Buffy almost snapped. She wasn't going to let him wind her up, it was what he wanted and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction

"But you have my baby there" Angel said smugly examining the doll closely. It actually looked like a real baby with the eyes that hadn't yet colored. The doll's skin wasn't plastic it was more like rubber adding to it looking like a real baby.

"I want to pass this assignment and I doubt we will if I leave you to look after it. You'll probably leave it at a party or something" Buffy muttered trying to keep her cool

"You know what Buff? I'm really hurt"

"Don't call me that" Buffy snapped, so much for keeping her cool

"Don't call you what, Buff? It's your name"

"No my name is Buffy"

"Ok BUFFY, you coming over mine so we can play happy families together or what?" Buffy shot him a chilling look "Ok I get it you don't like me..."

"Understatement" She grunted

"If I was you I wouldn't like me either but I'm not you and well I love me, I can't help it it's just who wouldn't love me" He paused for a moment looking at her speechless face. Could he be more in love with himself? Buffy wondered 

"Except for you that is but I know you like me really and the sooner you get over this little thing you got for me the better cause we got an assignment to do and I have rights you know, as a Dad and all that"

"This little thing I've got for you? I haven't got anything for you! God you are so unbelievable. If you want the stupid doll that much here have it" She shoved the doll into Angel's arms and stormed off

"That's going to come up on the program" He shouted after her turning the baby to hold it in the right position before running after her "Come on Buff you need to study and we can have family photo's, it'll look great for the assignment"

Buffy sighed. She knew he was right, she did need to study and pictures would definitely up their mark and she could use all the marks she could get

"Fine! But I still don't like you"

"You will"

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The huge mansion had changed immensely since Buffy had been there last. The brown and beige paint had been replaced by a pale shade of orange and the furniture had been changed to egg chairs and modern art painting and statues. Raised voices could be heard from the kitchen. Buffy looked anywhere but at Angel who was either burning with embarrassment at the sound of the shouting or burning with range. Which? She couldn't be sure but she was sure that it took a lot to embarrass him

"Sorry, the parents are back. Come upstairs" He said to her climbing the fairytale steps. She followed without asking question's making sure the doll's head didn't bob as she jogged up the steps

They got to a door and Angel pushed it open revealing the massive black wooden four poster bed in the middle of the room. The curtains around the bed 

were pure white, unlike him. Buffy almost laughed when she saw the mirrored wardrobes going from one end to the room to the other. No wonder he was so vain she thought. The desk was filled with hair products, sprays and cologne. The bed faced a large plasma screen that was fitted into the wall and in the corner was the surround sound. Unlike the hall way there was no grand chandelier only a large paper light that fitted well with the room. The cream carpet looked like it hadn't once seen a stain and probably hadn't. The room truly looked like a show room it was so organized until Buffy emptied her bag on the cream carpet and her books scattered the floor

"Where do you want to start?" She asked putting the baby down gently on the silk sheets

"Uh how about Martin Luther King?"

"I don't get why we have to learn that stupid speech" Buffy groaned. Angel chuckled at her; she looked so cute when she wrinkled her nose

"It's not stupid Buffy. Martin Luther King's speech inspired a lot of people. It's the reason why we're in class with people of different races. Ok it's one of the reasons. Before then white people thought they were above everyone else"

"Uh Angel? You're white" Buffy pointed out. Again he chuckled

"Yeah but I don't think I'm above everyone else" Buffy looked at him with her eyebrow's raised

"So what about Jonathan? Warren? Me? You think you're above all of us"

"It's a totally different thing besides I don't think I'm above you"

"Don't you? And it is the same. You expect Warren to get up and give you his seat just like that white man expected Rosa Parks too" Buffy smiled at herself, giving her extra points to her reference to Rosa Parks.

"Well it seems you do listen" Angel grinned "Are you calling me racist Buffy Summer's? Cause in case you haven't noticed my best friends black and I would be quite offended if you are"

"I'm not calling you racist Angel, I'm calling you geekist" Buffy re thought what she had said and wished she could take it back. She could see Angel was going to put up one hell of an argument

"Geekist? There's no such work and even if there were I am not geekist"

"So why don't you ever talk to anyone outside your click?" Buffy quizzed

"Because I'm shy" Angel shrugged. It wasn't true, he was anything but shy and Buffy knew that

"Yeah ok" Buffy nodded sarcastically as he opened the book with a picture of Martin Luther King on the front

"I have a dream" Angel read out aloud

"I have a dream that Angel O'Neil would quit being such a jackass" Buffy remarked. Angel lifted his eyes looking at Buffy over the book wondering whether to ignore her comment or address it. Shutting the book with a snap he decided to ignore it

"Tell me something Buffy"

"Eh?" Buffy asked crossing her legs on the cream floor

"Tell me something that nobody knows about you" Angel's voice seemed to plead for an answer

"What so tomorrow it could be all over school?" Buffy scoffed. Gossip travelled like lighting at the small school of Sunnydale High especially if Cordelia Chase was the one spreading it

"Is that what you think of me?" Angel asked, he seemed genuinely offended "That anything you tell me I'll go back and tell Cordelia? Cause if it is then, then I don't know. Maybe you should just go" Angel stood up and gathered Buffy's books to put them back in her bag

"Angel I'm sorry" Buffy brushed her blond hair with the ends of her fingers feeling really bad. For a moment there was a slight connection between the two and she just ruined it by opening her big mouth

"I'll see you out" Angel handed her, her bag and led her too the door. Too his dismay his mother was in the hallway looking at the weird four armed sculpture she bought the other day

"Oh Angel" Clarissa said then her eyes noticed Buffy who bit her lip shyly feeling rather intimidated "I didn't know you had company"

"Yeah Buffy and I were just studying" Angel muttered avoiding his mother's gaze. She was really unbelievable sometimes. She hadn't mentioned the argument they had last night, not that he minded

"You must excuse my son, he has no manners. Why don't you come join us in the living area" It wasn't a question it was almost like a command

Buffy looked at Angel who bowed his head

"...uh... I think I should be getting home" Buffy stuttered. Getting home? Couldn't she think of a better excuse

"Nonsense" Clarissa said pulling Buffy into the re decorated living area "So Buffy what do your parents do?"

"Well my dad, I don't see him much and I mother owns a small art gallery" Buffy saw Clarissa's eyes brighten at the mention of art

"Oh I just love art don't I Angel" Her eyes turned to her only son who was sitting on the arm of the chair. Angel said nothing, just mumbled something that no would could quite understand "Where is the gallery maybe I've heard of it or even bought some pieces there?"

"I doubt it. When I said small I meant tiny"

Clarissa's smile turned into a frown and there was an awkward silence in the room. Buffy twiddled her fingers really wanting to get out of this situation

"Where's Cordelia?"

"I don't know" Angel answered sneaking a quick glance at Buffy

"I better go now" Buffy sat up from the leather couch and made her way to the double doors. She held the handle with her eyes shut. They had a moment, a brief little moment and she ruined it all.


	22. Geekist?

Chapter 22

Angel got out from his king size bed absolutely knackered. When Buffy left the day before she left without the mechanical baby leaving him to take care of it. It cried all night and no matter what Angel did it wouldn't stop. He fed it with the bottle they were given, burped it, changed it even sang to it but nothing he did would stop it from screaming. If this was parenthood then he definitely didn't want to experience it

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

School was no different, well except for all the juniors and seniors pushing dolls around in prams. The other teachers were sick of the fake screams interrupting their classes so after a while they just refused to teach and let them all have a free period.

"God what happened to you? You look like shit" Gunn told a very sleepy Angel

"Do I really look that bad?" For the first time in years Angel hadn't checked himself in t he mirror before leaving, it was like all of a sudden his appearance didn't bother him which was very out of character not to mention strange

"You look worse" Gunn turned to look behind him at the sound of Fred's Texas ascent. She was holding their baby tightly to her chest

"Charles, it kept me up all night maybe you want to take it tonight?"

Angel felt relieved, he wasn't the only one that had been deprived of sleep and looking around it seemed that nearly everyone had

"Yeah sure. Make sure you get some sleep yeah? Do you want me to give you a lift to your place? Saves you from getting a bus"

Angel watched Gunn interact with the attractive brunette with his eye brows raised. Since when was he so nice?

"I don't want you to go out of your way"

"No, it's on the way"

"Ok thanks" Fred smiled and Gunn smiled back. They were gazing at each other for a while until Angel's chuckled brought them back to reality "See you"

Gunn was still smiling even after Fred was gone. He looked like a little puppy in love, bless him

"What?" He asked Angel who was wearing his trademark smirk

"Doesn't Winifred live the other side of town to you?"

Gunn said nothing. He knew what Angel was thinking, that he had a thing for the Texas geek and he did but it wasn't something he was quite ready to admit, not yet anyway

"I'm just being nice; maybe you want to try it sometime"

"I'm nice" Angel argued. He wasn't exactly nasty, he didn't bitch about people, he just thought he was better then everyone else and he was, wasn't he?

"How's things with Buffy?" Gunn asked changing the subject. Now he was the one smirking and Angel was the one frowning "Soar subject?"

"I think I fucked things up with her yesterday. We were just studying..."

"Studying huh?" Gunn's tongue slipped in between his teeth, he knew what Angel meant by studying. Angel narrowed his eyes

"No we actually were studying"

"So what happened?"

"I don't know" He shrugged "We were talking about Martin Luther King and then she started calling me geekist"

"Geekist?" Gunn questioned, half chuckling

"Yeah and then I asked her to tell me something about her and then I told her to leave" Angel's voice was low and quite like he couldn't believe it himself

"You told her to go?" Gunn couldn't believe it either

"Yeah"

"Can I ask why?"

"You can ask, I won't give you an answer though because to be honest with you I don't even know myself. I had her; I had her in my room. That's all I needed to do was say some sweet words" Angel's eyes were looking at Gunn but he was looking straight through him. It was as if everything was transparent.

No one spoke for a moment, no one. Not even the other students who were roaming the hall trying loiter as long as they could without being late for class. It was like something out of movie when everyone's head turned to watch the beautiful girl walk in except it wasn't a movie and there was no beautiful girl.

The chilling silence was broken by the morning announcements on the school radio by Kate. That why everyone was silent, they had been waiting for the hard voice from the speakers. Today was the start of a war, a war to become student body president and the voice only confirmed that

"Guess you better start campaigning" Gunn said after the announcements were finished

"Nah no need. I can win this thing without even showing up for school" Angel said smugly

"You know what I've always wanted to see? Someone take you down a notch or two and for you too experience rejection"

"Not going to happen. I'm like immune from rejection"

"Does Buffy Summer's know that?" Gunn high fived himself in his head. Angel frowned. Buffy hadn't rejected him had she?

"Buffy hasn't rejected me. There would have to be an offer for her to reject to reject me and since I haven't offered her something she hasn't rejected me so it's all good"

"Uh...yeah" Gunn nodded his head pretending to understand what Angel said

Angel watched as Cordelia's thin figure came towards him, he was getting ready to say hi but when she walked straight past him he frowned wondering what he did to annoy her

"Someone isn't happy with you" Gunn said, he to had watched Cordelia pass, getting ready to leave the two alone. There was no way he wanted t be left with them

"Oh great" Angel sighed. Cordelia never was hard to win over when she was in one of her moods it was just that Angel couldn't be bothered to win her over

"Looks like someone's going to be deprived of sex for awhile" Gunn said before walking off to class

"You would have to be having sex to be deprived of it" Angel said quietly so no one could hear. It would kill him for other people to know that he wasn't getting any. It was complicated. If he wanted some he could easily have it. Of course he wanted to have sex; he was guy but sex with Cordelia just didn't get him off 

anymore. God what was happening to him? He wondered wishing everything he was feeling was all in his head and that he would wake up any moment now and would get back to his uncaring, selfish, one tracked mind self. Oh well there wasn't time for thinking, he had to campaign and he knew just the thing to win the votes

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

_Two random people talking_

"Are you going to Angel's party?"

"He's having a party?"

"Haven't you heard? Everyone's invited. It's only so people will vote for him though it's so obvious"

"Are you going to vote for him then?"

"Duh! He's so hot and he's throwing a party that gets double points"

"I heard he had sex with Harmony, Cordelia's best friend"

"He probably did"

"Then why is she still with him?"

"Have you seen him without a top? That's why. He could have sex with my whole family, even my brother and I still wouldn't be mad with him"

"That is so shallow"

"I'm a shallow person"

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Willow took her seat in class next to Buffy with odd glares from the rest of her classmates. Willow Rosenberg was late, she was never later, unless you count the times she arrived late with Buffy but everyone knew it was Buffy's fault

"Where have you been?" Buffy whispered leaning back in her chair so she was closer to Willow

"Oz and I got talking and I guess I lost track of time" Willow shrugged as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink "...Buffy"

"What do you want Will?" Buffy asked. Every time Willow said something in that tone it was to ask Buffy something that she probably wouldn't like doing

"Well the thing is..."

"Just tell me"

"Well Oz asked me to got to a party with him" Willow told her with a grin

"That's great Will I'm really happy for you"

"Yeah but I don't know anyone at the party besides from Oz but I cant just go with Oz because if I do then he'll expect something so..."

"You want me to come with you? Sure, where is this party?" Buffy questioned. Willow didn't even have to ask; of course Buffy would go with her. Willow was so in love with Xander it was to see her getting on with things instead of waiting for him to wake up and smell the hottie. Anything Willow asked her do to she would do at that moment

"It's at Angel's" Willow said so quickly Buffy barely heard her.

...Anything but that.

"Will" Buffy frowned. It was too much, she was asking too much

"I know I'm asking a lot Buffy but please. I think this might be my chance to get over Xander and I can't do it without you" Willow gave Buffy her best sad face hoping it might persuade her

"Oh no! You are not emotionally blackmailing me into coming, it is not happening"

"It's ok, I understand" Willow sighed

"Fine!" Buffy hissed. She couldn't take anymore of Willow's sad face, it was torture

"So you'll come?" Willow's frown had turned upside down by the click of a finger

"Yeah, I'll come"

Buffy turned her head back to the front of the class room. What the hell had she just done? Going to Angel's house for a party after, well she wasn't even sure what happened between them. There was definitely a moment and then she opened her big mouth and said the wrong thing like usual and he couldn't get rid of her fast enough. Add Cordelia to the mix and things get worse and then there's all of his friends who were surely going to be there. Since when did Buffy care what they all thought anyway? Obviously since now.

Cordelia glanced quickly over at Buffy who was mumbling to herself

"Freak" Cordelia muttered quietly. How dare she try and steal HER boyfriend away from her, how dare she go to his house and 'study' with him. Pfft like she didn't know what study meant. Yeah cause they did a lot of studying she thought to herself. Buffy Summer's was going to pay.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the late update, been really busy with school plus I found a lump on by my shoulder and got really paranoid but I went to the doctors earlier today and it turns out to be nothing serious. Can't really remember what he said it was but nothing some antibiotics wont cure so now that my mind is at rest I can concentrate on writing. Hopefully next chapter will be up soon but got a really busy week but I'll try to update as soon as I can. Once again thank you for all you're reviews, very much appreciated._


	23. Youve Done It Again

Chapter 23

The night came quick leaving Sunnydale High empty although the students of that school were all gathered in one of the biggest houses in Sunnydale or Sunnyhell as Cordelia Chase would like to call it.

"Talking to me now?" Angel asked snaking his arm around Cordelia's thin waist. The R&B music was vibrating through the house making it a bit difficult to hear anything

"I wasn't not talking to you" Cordelia said her voice being cold and harsh but she didn't move away from Angel's hold on her body

"You ignored me earlier. Come on Cor, tell me what's wrong" Angel didn't really care but he had to ask otherwise she would be even madder at him for not asking. Either way she would be mad at him so it was a loose, loose situation

"I don't like it when you treat me like I'm stupid Angel, I also don't like being lied to" Cordelia turned around to look at Angel's deep dark eyes, his hands still around her waist. It was impossible for her to stay mad at him for along time, that was her curse

"Huh?"

"I know. I know that you took Buffy Summers home with you yesterday Angel" Cordelia saw Angel move to open her mouth but she got there before him "I can handle the other girls, I mean if I was a guy I'd do Harmony, Kate, Nina, Gwen but Buffy? That is something I can't deal with, something I can't ignore"

"Oh" Angel cursed himself for what he said, there must have been more that he could say. There probably was but what he had to say Cordelia wouldn't like it one bit

"Oh?" Cordelia took a deep breath to stop herself from screaming and making a massive scene. "Don't you think you owe me an explanation? Or do I mean that little to you?"

"You mean everything to me" Angel lied kissing the dip in her neck.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Buffy pushed past the enormous crowds that was gathered by the fairy tale stair case with Willow holding onto her for dear life afraid that they might get separated.

"Where's Oz then?" Buffy shouted over the music knowing full well that she was about to be left on her own

"He said he would see me there so he should be here already" Willow scanned the room looking for the other red haired but couldn't find him anywhere, to her disappointment

"Relax" Buffy told her friend seeing her body tense up "He'll be here"

Willow struggled to keep herself from biting her nails out of nerves. This was her first date, wait. Was it even a date? Willow started to silently panic at all the negative thoughts that were whizzing around her head

"Willow" Oz almost squeaked from behind her. He had arrived five minuets ago and had been building up the courage to say something to her since he saw the small frown she had been trying to hide on her face. Buffy chuckled at the two of them, she couldn't tell who was the most nervous

"Oz"

"Oh look a bar" Buffy said making an excuse to leave the two of them alone. Willow gave her a thankful smile but the smile was also a questioning one. Buffy 

smiled back telling her it was alright, that she would be alright on her own and for her to just enjoy her self.

Once by the bar and out of Willow's sight, Buffy picked up a half cut of vodka and swigged heaving slightly at the after taste. The burning sensation filled her throat as her eyes filled up with water but it was what she needed. Filling another glass Buffy found some coke from behind the bar and poured it into the same glass she poured some vodka into. There was no way she was going to get through the night sober, especially if she was to run into Angel which was probably going to happen seeing as she was in his house

"Buffy!" Spike slurred picking up the vodka bottle and tipping it down his throat. Every time she saw Angel's older cousin he was drunk, she wondered what he was like sober for a moment but after bringing her own drink to her thin lips she didn't care

"Hey Spike"

"What you doing in here pet?" Spike moved closer to Buffy holding onto the bar for balance

"Drinking" Buffy poured herself another vodka and coke, not yet drunk enough to drink it straight

"I can see that love but what's a pretty girl like you doing drinking on her own?"

"Is this some kind of O'Neil thing?" Buffy asked with a sour chuckle, she was beginning to feel the alcohol taking its effect "Throw nice words at me and you think I'll follow you upstairs? Is that it? Because let me tell you, I wont. Not you, not Angel, none of you"

"I can see why you're drinking on your own now" Spike muttered walking, swearing under his breath as he walked out of the room. Buffy sighed listening to him curse thinking that maybe he was right. Maybe no one wanted to be around her because she was a horrible person. The sound of someone staggering into the room brought Buffy out of her thoughts.

"Oh, you're in here" Angel said

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes flashing with lust that was only showing because of the vodka

"Yes, I'm here"

"How's it going?" Angel asked trying to make small talk but he was never good with that kind of stuff. Normally if he wanted to say something he would just say it but he was sure telling Buffy what he really wanted to say would make her run for the hills

"It's going great" Buffy downed the liquid in her glass and began pouring herself another one, knocking other bottles off the bar with her elbow

"You should really take it easy" Angel said watching her. That's when Buffy realised Angel wasn't drunk. At first when he staggered into the room she thought he was drunk but now she could see that he has only had a few.

"Don't tell me what to do" Buffy hissed, the alcohol taking over

"Sorry but remember last time you drunk a bit too much? I just want to make sure you don't end up regretting anything"

"Are you telling me you're going to look after me then?" Buffy slurred stepping closer to Angel. The vodka she had previously downed was now sinking deeper into her system bringing on the feeling of want she had for the person standing in front of her

"...Uh Buffy" Angel felt Buffy's small arms tighten around his body. She was holding him so close and that's all he could do was pull away. Taking her by the hand he sat her gently in the black leather chair in the corner of the room

Buffy giggled as soon as she felt the cold leather on her thighs. Her checked mini skirt barely covered her and her tie cream shoes were flung across the room revealing the red marks were they rubbed her

Just as Angel removed his hands from her shoulders after sitting her down Buffy leaned in to kiss him but he pulled away

"I thought you were going to look after me?" Buffy frowned, pouting like a three year old who couldn't have her own way

Angel stumbled back trying to catch his breath. Since when had he ever refused a drunk blond? It was all getting too weird for his liking. The room fell silent as Angel argued with himself and Buffy rocked back and fourth to the music that could be heard through the thick walls

"I've never kissed anyone, well not properly" Buffy announced out of the blue

"What?" Angel asked confused

"You asked me to tell you something that nobody knows about me. I've never kissed anyone before"

Lost in the moment Angel pulled Buffy out of the chair and into his arms where he devoured her mouth feeling the pride as he realized he was the first one to kiss her beautiful lips, to battle with her strong tongue

"Now you have" Angel panted after what felt like century's of enjoying the passionate moment

"Wh...What...What about Cordelia?" Buffy managed to spit out after steadying herself

"What about her?"

"Aren't you with her?" Buffy asked knowing what was going to happen next

"Yeah..."

"And you kissed me...?"

"..Yeah...?" Angel nodded slowly not getting what she was getting at. Yeah, Buffy definitely knew where this was going

"I can't believe this, you've done it again" Buffy snickered at how stupid she was. She would have stormed out if she could but the alcohol was making it a bit difficult

"Done what?"

"Made me think you weren't a jerk that was in love with yourself but you are. You get me to tell you something really personal about myself and you take advantage of it, then you act like its nothing. It might not be to you Angel but it is to me"

"You need to calm down babe, it was only a kiss"

If Buffy was sober she would have just walked off to cool down but she wasn't so she got on her bare feet and lunged at Angel who lost his balance and fell back, hitting his head on the corner of the bar

"What the hell?" Angel grabbed both of Buffy's wrists to restrain her from hitting him. Once she had stopped he looked into her clear green globes and wondered why he was so turned on by this

"I'm not your babe" Buffy said in a low, harsh whispered pulling herself from his grip. Getting up wasn't an easy task especially when she didn't want to.

As soon as Buffy was back on her feet Angel rubbed the back of his head, he was sure the fall had concussed him or something

"Oh come on Buff. Let's go for another round" Angel smirked on the floor

"Count to ten Buffy and walk away" Buffy told her self worried that she would smash Angel's perfect head into the black marble bar

"Buff? Come on, where you going?" Angel asked her as her hand reached towards the door handle. She spun around to face him trying to keep a straight face, a serious face, a sober face

"Someone has to look after the baby" She told him more serious then she would have liked

"But it's not real, it doesn't need looking after"

"I really want to pass this assignment so I need to treat it like it's real now excuse me before we both do something we'll regret"

"We already have" Angel tired so hard t hide the smirk but couldn't. He hadn't regretted anything, neither did Buffy but she didn't want to admit it to herself never mind him and he already knew that.

* * *

_A/N: Yaaay, we're getting somewhere with the Buffy and Angel relationship. Sorry it's taken so long to update I've had a hectic week. Thank you for the reviews they're great. I did want to make this chapter longer but I wanted to get something up as soon as possible. Just want to say thanks to everyone who's been so patient with this fic and my other fic's. I'm hoping to update a few of them soon, I haven't abandoned any I just made this fic my main priority. I know they haven't done much with the baby assignment but that's going to change in the next few chapters. Once again thank your patience and your reviews. _


	24. Making Conversation

Chapter 24

"Buffy!" Willow waved from the bench. It was now dinner time and Willow hadn't seen Buffy all day. At first she thought she must have been ill but now she realised that she was recovering from a hang over.

"Hey guys" Buffy smiled fighting the urge of being sick

"Good party then?" Xander asked a bit annoyed that nobody invited him

Buffy and Willow both looked at each other with guilty faces. Xander wasn't supposed to know that they went

"It would have been nice to get an invite especially since my two closest friends were going. You would have thought think would have told me about it wouldn't you? But no they didn't. I wonder what reason they had for hiding it from me. Maybe it was because they both knew how much I hated the guy that was hosting the party or maybe it was because they are both backstabbing bitches"

Willow winced at his harsh words but Buffy didn't. She was tired and hung over and really not in the mood to listen to Xander ranting on about something that they couldn't change

"We didn't tell you because we knew that you would try to convince us not to go all because your stupid, pathetic, childish vendetta against Angel. Seriously Xander just get over it and stop having ago at me and Will because the only thing we did wrong was not tell you and we did that for a reason. Look at the way your acting. Seriously get over it!" Buffy snapped. Buffy's mechanical baby started crying from the carrier cot and sighed trying to ignore it while Xander got up from the bench and looked at her like she had betrayed him in the worst way possible

"No you get over it!" Xander yelled "I've seen the way you look at Angel with them googly eyes. You're pissed because you like him and he's just fucking with your head and now you're taking it out on me." Xander stormed off in a huff followed by Willow

"Sorry Buffy but we are in the wrong" She said before running after him leaving Buffy with a hysterical doll

"Fuck you all" She muttered under her breath

"Well that's no way to speak in front of a child is it" Said a cocky voice from behind her. Buffy hid her face in her arms wanting to scream so loud

"What do you want from me?!" Buffy gritted out annoyed

"I could think of a few things but I'll have to tell you later, they aren't appropriate on school grounds" He winked

"Since when has that stopped you?"

"Why are you such a bitch Buff?" Angel asked taking the baby out of the carrier and rocking it back and fourth in his arms

"I am not a bitch" Buffy argued. He was so blunt, so offending and he didn't even care. She watched him interact with the doll and couldn't help but think what a great father he would make. Hold up, she was just thinking how much of a jackass he was and now she was thinking about him fathering a child, there was something seriously wrong with her

"If you say so"

"I'm not!"

"Ok"

"But I'm not"

"Yeah, ok, I agree"

"No you don't. You're just saying that to shut me up" Buffy told him

"Am I that obvious?"

"Uh yeah besides I'm really not a bitch. Cordelia's a bitch I'm nothing like her"

"No Cordelia is something else. She takes bitch to a whole new level. You, you're just, I don't know" He turned to the doll and made a funny face at it. Buffy watched him intrigued "Do you think Mommy's a bitch?" He asked the doll

"I don't get it"

"Don't get what?"

"You're dating Cordelia but you think she's a bitch? What the hell?" Buffy thought for a moment, trying to imagine herself dating a bitch but couldn't until then she thought of dating Angel. He was a jackass and she... No wait, she didn't, she couldn't. He was a total jerk. Buffy shook her head trying to clear her mind. No more thoughts of Angel in that way she told herself

"Yeah but there's good and bad to everyone isn't there. Cordelia just has a really bad side but she also has a really good side" Angel explained looking happy at his explanation

"She had a good side? What's good about..." Buffy stopped when she saw Angel's sly grin. Did she really have to ask what he thought was good about her "Why am I Still talking to you?"

"Well actually it's me talking to you and if my friends left me like that I wouldn't be chasing off potential friends away"

"See this is why I don't like you" Buffy pointed out

"And why's that?"

"Cause you just come over here, start talking to me, telling me what's what, calling me a bitch and what not"

"Do you want to go to the dance with me?" Angel asked

Buffy stared at him wondering if he was for real. How could the conversation change from her explaining why she didn't like him to him asking her to the dance. God he got under her skin so much

"Aren't you going with Cordelia?"

"Only if you say no" He admitted

"So I'm your second choice?"

"Don't you listen Buff" Angel shook his head and sighed "You're my first choice. Cordelia is my second choice or I could go with both of you, make everyone happy"

Buffy wondered to herself if this was some weird dream. Did he really just suggest taking her and Cordelia to the dance? And even more so why was she considering it?

"I think you'll just be taking Cordelia"

"Why's that?"

"Because I have other plans" Buffy lied regretting it instantly. She knew what was coming next, that he was going to ask her what her other plans where so she 

waited for it, waited for a while. When the question never came she spoke again "Aren't you going to ask me..."

"No" He simply said "You seem surprised?"

Buffy closed her mouth trying not to seem surprised

"It's just that, well you... Never mind" Buffy shut up then wishing she could have finished her sentence but she honestly didn't know what she was on about

They both sat around the bench in silence with Angel still cradling the fake baby in his arms as if it was a real one until the bell rang for the last class of the day. The people around them gathered they're stuff and reluctantly moved inside the building unlike Buffy and Angel.

Buffy sat still, watching Angel, wondering why he wasn't moving

"Aren't you going to go to class?" She asked in almost a whispered

"Aren't you?" She cursed him for his ability to turn things round so he never had to answer anything if he didn't want to

"I'm just going to go now, coming?"

"No." He didn't move, didn't twitch "Want to skip with me?" He finally asked, smiling as he watched Buffy think about the idea.

"What were you thinking of doing?" Stupid Buffy! She told herself. Now he was going to think she was interested, which she was but she didn't want him to know that did she.

"Don't know, I was hoping you could help me think" He said with a cheeky half slime that made Buffy's heart melt. What he was, who he was, what he was like, it was all instantly forgotten as soon as one of the edges of his lips curled

"I don't think that's such a good idea" Buffy said, more to herself then him. She was breathing quite heavily and she did have a few ideas of what they could do instead of going to class

"And why's that?" Angel held the baby closer to his chest, holding its head for support while leaning over to reach for Buffy's bag at her feet. He pulled the bag onto the table and pulled her time table out "It's the last class and I'm sure you could miss one..." He looked in the Friday column and then looked at the last grid "... Maths lesson" He finished

Buffy frowned and snatched her time table from the Angel's smooth hands

"I should get going" Buffy got up and flung the bag over her shoulder

"What you doing later?"

"I'm babysitting for my next-door neighbour"

"Left or right?" Angel asked moving his arm. He had been holding the baby for so long in the same position he must have had a dead arm

"Do you want me to take the doll?" Buffy asked noticing this

"No, I'm good. Left or right?" Angel asked again

"What?"

"Your neighbour, do they live left from your house or right from your house"

"Uh... left. Why?" Buffy replied. It was a weird thing to ask but the cocky smirk on her face told her that he was up to something

"No reason"

"Ok, bye" Buffy walked towards the building trying not to hurry because that would be so not cool but she was extremely late and knew she would probably get send to Snyder's office

"See you later" Angel called after her

If Buffy wasn't so late she would have stopped and turned around but instead she kept walking. Did he just say later? She asked herself. Rushing through the halls she was the only one. Looking into the window of some of the classes she noticed that all the students were sat with they're books wide open. Yeah, she was definitely very late, the very late that would involve a very tense lecture from Willow if she was talking to Buffy. That was another thing that confused her. Was Willow talking to her or wasn't she? And why did she go off with Xander? Surely she wouldn't take sides would she? No, not the Willow she knew but then again she was madly in love with him and love does make you do the whacky as she has demonstrated before. No. How could she demonstrate anything before, she wasn't in love with Angel, she couldn't be. She despised everything that he stood for, his whole life. Oh god what was happening to her?

Before she knew it she stood in front of the door that had a gold plak reading Maths on it

"Nice of you to join us Ms Summers" Mr Hubbard commented watching her walk in with her head to the floor. Buffy wondered why all the teachers said that when she was late. Maybe there was some website designed for teachers that had quotes they could say to they're students on it like the one "The bell is for me not you" and "Let me guess the dog ate it?" and the all time favorite "DETENTION!"

"Is there anything you would like to say Buffy before taking your seat?" He asked annoyed that Buffy hadn't apologized for interrupting his class and giving a reason

"No?" Buffy croaked out feeling her cheeks redden as every eye in the class came to stare at her, even the pet hamster that rode around on his wheel in the back of the class at stopped running to look out of its cage at her. Oh how she hated that little rodent and its spinning wheel

"Go to the principles office Buffy" Mr Hubbard didn't even look at her as he spoke. His strawberry blond hair was facing the white board writing down what pie was worth, as if they didn't know. Well Buffy didn't know.

Buffy sighed leaving the class room. Great it was the last hour of school and she was getting send to the principles office. Why didn't she just skip with Angel?

* * *

_A/n: I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I enjoyed writing it especially the talk with Angel and Buffy. I think it's the longest conversation they've ever had. Again sorry for the lack of update I'm hoping to update more but we'll see. Again I want to thank you all for your great reviews, I enjoy reading them and without them I wouldn't have bothered carrying on with this fic. I'm hoping to bring Riley back soon as I have only now noticed his disappearance from the chapters and I write them. Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaank yoooooooooooou._


	25. Suprise

Chapter 25

"Where's my mommy gone?"

Buffy sighed yet again. For about the millionth time she had been asked the same question. Her next-door neighbour's children were a handful to say the least. The room was sandy yellow with a dark pink carpet, well having children and all she guessed no one would want a light carpet. The fridge was full until Buffy pulled a few cans of soda and some chocolate bars out. At the moment they were all sitting in the living area, Buffy lounging on the leather sofa, Matilda sitting on the floor with her arms and legs crossed and then on the other leather chair was Joshua. They were all silently watching the cartoon version of Robin Hood until Matilda asked her that question

"She's gone out; she'll be back later sweetie" Buffy told the six year old girl then looked over to her twin. They were nearly identical. Both with curly brown hair and mossy green eyes. The only difference was they're gender.

Sally, Buffy's next-door neighbour had, had a hard like. She had only recently gotten out of an abusive relationship according to Buffy's mother Joyce leaving her a single parent of three children. Matilda and Joshua were six and always on the go and then there was little baby Leanne, seven months old and a right screamer. It wasn't Buffy's first time babysitting, after the first time she had vowed that she would never have any children and if it was up to her then she wouldn't have been here tonight but Joyce had volunteered her services without her knowing

"Can I play with your doll?" The six year old asked

Buffy looked at the doll in the car seat, she had forgotten all about it and for some odd reason it hadn't cried for over an hour, not that she was complaining.

"No"

"My Mommy says its not nice not to share"

"No its not but this isn't just a doll, it's my school project and it's like a real baby"

"So can I play with it then?" Matilda asked again

"Watch the film" Was Buffy's reply not wanting the little girl to have a tantrum like she usually did when she couldn't get her own way. Matilda got up and stepped in front of the TV "Great" Buffy muttered. Not only was Matilda about to kick off but she was going to upset Josh too

"I don't want to watch the stupid film!"

"If you're going to act like a brat then you can go upstairs right now because Josh and I are trying to watch the film"

"I hate you!" Matilda screamed "You're a horrible babysitter and I'm going to tell my Mommy that you were mean to me!" Matilda then turned to her brother "Come on josh!"

Not wanting to upset his sister Josh got up and walked up the stairs with her. Buffy frowned knowing that Matilda would not give up that.

"At least I can watch TV now" Buffy noticed lately that she had been talking to herself more and more

Just after Buffy got comfortable the door bell rung. Buffy looked at the clock, it was seven o clock. Sally said that that hardly anyone came round to visit her and that her ex husband was out on bail so on no circumstances let him in and now someone was banging on the door in the winter night. Her pulse quickened as she neared the door, what was she going to do against a massive man, yeah she wanted to protect the children, even if they were complete brats but she was tiny, she couldn't stop anyone from getting in

Buffy put the chain on and opened the door a tiny bit to see who it was. There standing the other side of the wall was Angel carrying a pizza box and two brown grocery bags

"Going to let me in or what?" He asked smiling at the more then surprised look on her face

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you I would see you later and well it's late now the foods going to get cold if you don't let me it"

Buffy closed the door to pull the chain off then opened it leaving him in. Before even looking around or saying anything more Angel found his way to the kitchen and put the bags downs pulling out some Chinese, Indian and Mexican food

"I didn't know what you liked so I got everything" He shrugged at her wide eyes then opened the pizza box and rummaged in the higher cupboard to get some plates as if he had been too the house numerous times

"Uh thanks, I think"

"What do you want?" Angel asked taking all the food out of the bag and putting a bit of everything on one of the plates

Buffy said nothing, just looked at him in disbelief. Sometimes he could be so annoying but yet so sweet

Instead of waiting for an answer, Angel put a the food that was left over on several different plates then opened one of the bottom cupboards to get a tray and put all the food on the tray to carry into the living area.

He plopped onto the sofa, put his feet up and changed the flicked through the channels finding a good action film

"Uh excuse me! I was watching that" Buffy said trying to snatch the remote back but Angel was damned if he was going to sit and watch Robin Hood for two hours

"I did bring the food so I think I should decide what we should watch"

"We? Oh no. There is no we. You brought food over, yeah. Thank you for that but now I've gotten the food so you can be on your way now. Bye"

Angel didn't move, instead he put his feet on the glass table in front of him. Buffy realised he wasn't going anywhere soon and unless she did something she would be stuck watching some Rambo wannabe dive out of helicopters and get shot a couple of times. She dived for the remote but Angel had already seen the attack coming and flipped her on her back on the sofa

"Bastard" Buffy muttered starring up at the ceiling. She wasn't going to give up, no. There was no way Angel was going to get his own way. Not a chance. Getting up she pounced again, both of her knees on each side of Angel's waist who was highly amused by the position they were now in. He held the remote high above his head so Buffy couldn't reach it.

"Give it to me" She shouted, her voice full of frustration

"Oh I'll give it to you" Angel sniggered. Angel had gone beyond highly amused now

"You are disgusting you know that" Buffy sighed but didn't move. Angel grinned at her disgust and grabbed both of her hands after dropping the remote to the ground forcing them to reverse positions. Now he was the one on top and Buffy lay helplessly underneath him

She tried her hardest not to gaze into his dark chocolate brown eyes but they were so hypnotizing. Buffy's stare was so intense that she didn't even notice he was looking into her eyes until she broke the contact to feel his mouth against hers

"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww" A small voice said from the doorway. Angel wanted to continue his assault on Buffy's mouth but she flew up smacking him in the forehead with her own.

"Ouch" Angel got up from the sofa to rub his head then he turned to where the little girl that interrupted them was. She was beaming at him in her Disney princess PJ'S and her long chestnut hair coming out from both her pigs tails.

"Who are you?" She asked

"Angel"

"Who's he?" Matilda then turned to Buffy

"Angel" Buffy said

Matilda gasped in astonishment as she looked at Angel's perfect features. Not one hair from his head was in the wrong place. His eye brows weren't bushy, neither were they thin and his eyes, well perfect features said it all.

"Are you really an angel?" She asked him

Angel looked to Buffy not knowing what to say. If he said no would it be like telling a child there was no such thing as Santa or the Tooth Fairy?

"Yes Angel is an angel. Now go back to bed and be a good girl otherwise..." Buffy stopped to think. What did angels do? What could she bribe the child with?

"Otherwise you'll go to hell" Angel stepped but when Matilda started to cry he wished he hadn't said anything

"But I don't want to go to hell" She sobbed

"Well go to bed then"

"But I don't want to"

"Matilda, will you please go to bed" Buffy pleaded, wanting to finish what she and Angel started

"But Mommy always reads us a story otherwise I can't sleep"

"Why don't I read you a story then?" Angel suggested

Matilda wiped the tears from her eyes and jumped up and down tugging on Angel's shirt. Buffy smiled and the scene. How could someone be so sweet but so arrogant at the same time? She wondered as Angel grinned at her knowing what was going through her head.

Half an hour later Angel came down the stairs. The house was all peaceful; the only noise was coming from the TV.

"Were they ok?" Buffy asked "Didn't give you much trouble did they? Usually bed time is a nightmare"

"No, they were fine. It was all fine"

Buffy frowned. They were never fine with her. Every time she even mentioned bed they made a massive fuss and caused riots before finally resting they're head's on their pillows.

"It's getting late maybe you should..."

"Go?"

"If you want too that is" Buffy shrugged

"Do you want me to?" He was at it again, turning things around

"I don't know what I want" Buffy sighed. She was about to pour her heart out when her phone rang "Hello" She said answering it. Angel stood by the stairs, shifting his eyes back and fourth "Oh hey Riley"

At the sounds of Riley's name, Angel's head flung up, his eyes were wide open

"I think you were right. Maybe I should just go"

"Can I call you back Riley. Ok Bye" Buffy clicked the red button on her phone and followed Angel to the door "Angel, no. Wait"

He stopped and turned around

"I had a good night and it didn't even involve alcohol or sex" Angel joked putting on a fake smile. He then walked towards his car "I'll see you around Buff" He said before getting into his car and driving off

"Oh boy" Buffy watched him pull away in his big hummer. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the night as well and was just gutted that she answered her phone. It was Friday now and she would have to wait a while two days to see him again, two days. It wasn't that long was it?

* * *

_A/N: I know I said I would try and update more and I'm sorry but I really am trying. Thank you all once again for your awesome reviews, I say it nearly every chapter but I mean it, really thank you._


	26. Who's On The Other End?

_I am sooooooooo sorry this chapter's late. I've been so busy plus I just couldn't write, I tried to but ... nothing. Nothing was happening. I think I was suffering from writers block but while i had a case of writers block I had been writing another story... Yay me but I'm going to finish it before putting it up otherwise I'll never finish my other fics. Thank you all for your great reviews, they are great, they keep me writing and well I just love reading them. You all must think I hate Cordelia by the way I write about her but I really don't. I actually liked her, well on Buffy I did anyway but then on Angel it was like... Why couldn't they just remain really good friends? They were great really good friends and then there's Riley well I just don't like him full stop, he's alright but he's my least favorite and besides he suits a bad guy :)__ Rightyy hooo anyway... _

Chapter 26

Saturday. The day most people in High school wish would come around faster but not Buffy. Saturday was the day that she could finally have peace from Angel's annoying cockiness, his constant smirking, so why did she just want to sleep the weekend away.

"Pull yourself together Buffy" She told herself as she got ready to meet Willow for a morning gossip session.

Taking a pair of flat shoes out, jeans and a grey hoody with Mickey mouse on the front Buffy laid them all flat on her bed before she went into the bathroom too wash and clean her teeth.

The bathroom was always cold in the morning so Buffy made sure she took her dressing gown with her to protect her from the morning air. It was funny how only a few days ago the sun was shining like it would always be there and now it was nowhere to be seen, now it really felt like winter.

When Buffy emerged onto the landing fully clothed and freshly washed Dawn was standing there grinning like an idiot at her

"Where you going?" She asked, sweeping her long dark hair behind her ears

"Out" Buffy replied not even giving her sister a second glance as she jogged down the stairs, shoes in hand

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The coffee shop was swarming with people but it wasn't hard picking Willow out of the crowd. She had on her black sweater with rainbows knitted on. While others would have said something horrible about her fashion sense, Buffy admired it. She was unique and besides some of the things she wore were cute.

Buffy pushed the pram over to where Willow was sitting drinking from a white round mug

"Hey" Willow smiled as Buffy took a seat opposite her

"Hey, sorry I'm late" Buffy apologised shuffling the chair closer to the table

"Oh don't worry, I only just got here. This stupid baby project is doing my head in. Did I tell you I was at the mall with Oz last night and these old people kept giving us looks, I nearly shouted something back at them"

Buffy smiled a little. She had never seen Willow loose her temper and when she finally did she wanted to make sure that she was there to see the show

"Where is it now?" Buffy asked, looking at her doll in the pram next to her

"Oz has it. He's going to make a great father" Although Willow didn't realize she had a dreamy smile on her face, Buffy did

"You and Oz seem to be getting close..."

"Yeah we are"

"So..." Buffy pressed

"So what?" Willow giggled nervously

"What's happening between you? When's the first date? Or was the party the first date and if it was when's the second date. There is going to be a second date isn't there??"

Again Willow gave a girlish giggle. It was usually her that was asking about how Buffy's dates went and hearing Buffy ask her the same questions that she asked was unusually good.

"I... I don't really know. He's coming over tonight though to help with the project"

Buffy raised her eye brows as a small grin appeared on her face

"To help with the project... Right"

Willow's cheeks went a bright crimson colour, just a little darker then her hair

"Enough about me, what about you?"

"Me? Nothing going on with me, I'm just boring ol' Buffy"

"Riley. Angel. Angel. Riley... which one is it?" Willow laughed as Buffy went the same colour as her

"I don't know Will, they're both so different" Buffy sighed before continuing "Riley's sweet and caring and then there's Angel who's arrogant, self obsessed, thinks' he's gods gift and he's so annoying its like everywhere I go he's there oh and did I tell you he asked me to the dance"

Willow's eyes widened

"That's great"

"No, you haven't heard the rest of it. He was telling me that me him and Cordelia could go together I was like... Could anyone get anymore vain if they tried"

Willow listened carefully, nodding as Buffy spoke almost absorbing the information before finally speaking

"At least you know who Angel is" She said. Buffy looked at her confused "Well Angel's honest about it isn't he? He doesn't hide the fact that he's an arrogant b-a-s-t-a-r-d" She spelt out

"I don't get your point"

"Well he can't get any worse can he? And yeah Riley might seem sweet and caring but he could be a jerk. I could be wrong mind you but I'm just saying that Angel doesn't try to be someone he's not"

"Mmmh" Buffy nodded. Willow was right, she didn't know Riley but then again she didn't exactly know Angel either. She remembered what he said about all his secrets being bared to the world... or something like that anyway and wondered what he was talking about. It was true though, about his secrets. He didn't have any. Everyone knew what he got up too but no one said anything about it, it was one rule for him and different one for everyone else.

Maybe that's why Buffy disliked him so much; because he could get away with things that he shouldn't be but that's how things at Sunnydale High went. Snyder would always make up excuses if any of the cheerleaders, swimmers, footballers did anything wrong. If they fell behind then he would get someone to copy up for them. It was ridiculous.

Willow looked at her watch and squirmed in her seat

"...Uh Buffy" She began

"Yeah?"

"The thing is... well its... the..."

"Spit it out Will"

"I sort of promised Xander that I would come by and help him with his history assignment" Willow said so quickly that Buffy had trouble understanding

Buffy frowned. She was hoping that the argument she and Xander had on Friday had been forgotten about, obviously not. God how she hated men. They were all so stubborn. Maybe she should just flee to a convent she thought

"It's fine" Buffy lied. Willow looked at her hastily "Really it is, go" She didn't really want Willow to go but she didn't want her not to go because of her

"Call you later?" Willow gathered up her stuff and downed the rest of her coffee before getting up

"Yeah" Buffy muttered making Willow frown. She watched as her friend pushed opened the glass door then looked down at her coffee trying to decide what to do know. "I knew I should have made friends with more then two people" Buffy told herself, then an idea came to her head.

The phone lit up as Buffy pressed the unlock button, then she scanned her contacts. It didn't take long as there weren't many there but it didn't matter, she only needed one.

There were three rings before a voice came on the other line

"Uh hey, it's Buffy, Buffy Summers" She said unsure of herself "What you doing later?"

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Angel sat on the bar stool in his grand kitchen. His parents were still there, so was Spike which made it even more difficult especially since Spike was supposed to be in Europe somewhere. The blond still hadn't told him why he had come back, not the truth anyway. Kathy was up in her bedroom trying to avoid the woman that gave birth to her and the man whose name was on her birth certificate. They were strangers; only around a few times a year and when they were around that's all she would get was abuse. Her mother telling her how much weight she's gained. They didn't know, they didn't know anything, what she'd been through, none of it, they didn't care.

"Katherine!" Clarissa called "You can't stay up there all day! Come on, a bit of sun light will do wonders to your skin"

Angel rolled his eyes. His parents really didn't have a clue when it came to they're children. Kathy hated being called Katherine and she hated leaving the house unless someone was with her. When it was clear Kathy wasn't going to be coming down any time soon Clarissa turned to Spike, asking the question he knew was coming

"William, what brings you back to Sunnydale? Does your mother know your here? Because I spoke to her a few weeks ago and when I asked about you she said you were in Milan"

William looked from up from the counter. Why must family always call you by your first name? He wondered. William, what kind of gay name was William? Now, William the Bloody, that was an alright name. It was a nickname he had picked up from Ireland when he was taking a poetry class. The name was actually for his bloody awful poetry but if anyone asked he wasn't going to tell them that.

His favourite name was Spike. That was a better name. He had picked up the name from stabbing a man with a rail road spike in his gang days. The man pressed charges but just a week later all charges were mysteriously dropped. Well, when your father owns a Law Firm it's what you can expect

"I missed seeing your beautiful art work" Spike said. Clarissa laughed; it was a fake laugh, one of those posh laughs

Angel rolled his head, his cousin could charm anyone.

"Do you still keep in contact with Darla, William? Such a lovely girl, I keep telling Angel to bring her by to meet Cordelia, they would get along like a house on fire"

Spike looked at Angel who was bowing his head and smirked. Yeah, there would definitely be fire involved with the two of them but getting along, no some how he didn't think so.

"Yes, I do. As I matter of fact I saw her the other day, so did Angel" Spike replied. Angel gave him a look as if to say shut the hell up before I set you on fire

"Oh he did, did he? Why didn't you say anything Angel? You know how much I liked that girl, wonderful girl she was." She turned back to Spike "I kept telling Angel that he should ask her out but he never listened "

"He did ask her out" Spike chuckled trying to re live the memory, it was one of best he had

"Oh did he really?" Clarissa's eyes locked onto Angel then to Spike telling him to tell her more

"Yes, he did. It was very amusing"

"What happened then? I don't remember her and Angel dating"

"No they didn't, Darla liked to... mmh how can put it... She liked to...keep her options open"

"No!" Clarissa gasped "I though she was such a lovely young girl, I would never have thought she was like that"

Spike smiled while shaking his head. He could tell Angel was blushing even though his face was buried deep within his arms


	27. Not Such A Nice Guy

Chapter 27

Saturday night, the best night of the week, the night everyone waited for and now it was finally here.

Buffy was in the bathroom doing her makeup, she had been in there for half an hour already trying to get the perfect colour eye shadow. There was no natural light shinning into the room from the window as the winter clouds blocked what ever light the moon was giving. Buffy picked up the two sided eye shadow brush and dipped it into the silver glittery powder before sweeping it onto her eye lid.

Next was the eye liner. Rummaging through her bag she found the liquid black eye liner and the pencil. First of all she closed one eye and took the liquid stick to her eye lid, tracing were her eye lashes finished. When she was done doing that she did the same only just below the inside of her eye. Putting the stick back into the ink she took the top of the pencil too colour the inside of her eye black.

The only thing next now was the mascara and once that was on Buffy walked into her room with only a towel wrapped around her, clean out of the shower she was.

Buffy opened her wardrobe and put her hands on her hip. She bit her bottom lip trying to pick out an outfit

"If only I knew where I was going" She said scanning every piece of clothing in the wooden box

After trying on nearly everything in her wardrobe Buffy finally decided on dark jeans and a black top with a white bow on just below the neckline. It was casual but smart so suitable for anywhere

A horn sounded from outside the small house. Buffy ran over to her window moving the blinds out of the way so she could see her date in his car.

"I'm going now Mom" Buffy called as she jogged down the stairs. Dawn stood just below it with a wide smirk on her face

"Where you going?" She asked putting her hands on her thin hips. Buffy ignored her younger sister, she didn't have to answer to her

"Mom? Did you hear me? I said I'm going" Buffy pushed past Dawn and headed towards the door hoping to get out before her mother set the rules but she wasn't so lucky

"Hold it Buffy Anne Summers" Joyce said in an authoritive tone "I want you home by half eleven, no later. No drinking, no speeding, no doing drugs and make sure that boy keeps his hormones in check"

Buffy went a deep shade of red as she realized what Joyce meant by the last part of her lecture

"Yeah ok, I get it Mom. Bye"

"Have a nice time hunny and remember what I said" Joyce called after her oldest daughter as she watched her get into the car. As soon as the door slammed shut the car sped away and Joyce frowned "My baby's growing up so quickly"

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Buffy sat in the passenger seat of the car tapping her feet to the radio. They had been driving for about twenty minuets, if they drove for any longer then they would probably be out of Sunnydale.

"Where are we going?" She asked breaking the silence

"You'll see" Was all she got in reply and then the silence took over once again until they pulled up next to a small beach house. It had only one floor and glass doors. Through the glass you could see that the living room and the kitchen were in the same room and then there was a narrow corridor probably leading to the bathroom and bedroom/'s. All of this you could see from the glass slide door

"Is this your place?" Buffy asked undoing her seat belt

"Kind of." Riley said. Buffy looked at him confused, it either was his place or it wasn't. "It's where I come to be by myself"

"It's lovely" Buffy stepped out of the car and onto the sand. The cold winter air made her shiver so she puller her coat tighter around herself. Even though it was the middle of winter and freezing the beach was still a beautiful place. The clear blue sea sparkled in the moonlight and the waves turned into flowing water as they reached the dry sand

"I know, its cold we should get inside" Riley took Buffy's hand and led her onto he wooden patio which was covered. An outdoor table set was in the middle and leaned against the wall was a wooden bench, besides that was a red barbeque. Riley twist the key and slid the door open, he gently pushed Buffy inside before entering himself then closed the glass door, putting the keys on the table. "Do you want something to eat, drink?"

"No thank you" Buffy said quietly with a smile trying to be as polite as she could, her mother had always taught her good manners.

Riley could tell she was tense, maybe nervous but he didn't understand why, he had no idea that this was the first date she'd ever been on, well proper date that is.

"What do you want to do?" He asked

"I, I don't mind" Buffy replied shyly. Riley opened the double fridge and took out a bottle of beer

"Do you want one?"

Buffy shook her head; she was going to keep a clear head tonight. Riley opened the cap with a fancy bottle opener which had like everything on it. Riley swigged the bottle greedily while Buffy shuffled her feet feeling very awkward. She thought that he would take her for dinner or something, not once did she think she would be isolated so far away from her home watching Riley get drunk. Then it hit her, he was drinking, he wouldn't be able to drive her home.

Buffy was too busy thinking about later she didn't even notice Riley had his lips to hers. As soon as his coldness touched her she froze. He slid his tongue into her still mouth. Riley's tongue swirled around Buffy's mouth but she didn't move, she was still trying to work out what happened and as soon as she did she pushed him away

"What the..." Riley pulled her back into a tight and unwanted embrace before she could say what she wanted to. Again she pushed him away but Riley's grip was tight on her waste, in a moment of panic she waved her arms around, hitting every and any bit of him that she could

"What the fuck!" Riley roared pushing her to the floor. Buffy was just relieved that he let go of her but his assault on the innocent blond was far from over. Buffy shuffled as far away from Riley as possible but the beach hut was only small so there wasn't a lot of places to hide "I know you want this to happen Buffy, you're just playing hard to get"

Buffy gulped wondering to herself if she gave Riley this idea, if she was the one that led him on, if this was her fault. Truth be told she didn't know what made Riley act like this or think that she might want it, they had only been out once and that wasn't really a date.

"No...no" Buffy stuttered as Riley got nearer and nearer until he roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her up "...Please"

"Oh, the begging will come later" He grinned pushing her to the wall where he assaulted her mouth. His hands roamed Buffy's body through her clothing. All Buffy could do was stand still and cry. She was afraid to move in case it provoked him to do anything else

"Please" She pleaded as his tongue exited her mouth. Just when she thought it was over he licked her neck taking in her sweet scent. His big paws ripped Buffy's left sleeve in frustration. Riley was getting inpatient now.

"Relax, you'll enjoy it" He purred into her ear. The feeling of his breath on her neck made Buffy shiver, it was horrible, dirty. Every time his mouth touched hers she would do nothing, she couldn't help but think that maybe he would get the message. It seems he didn't.

When Riley grabbed both of Buffy's thighs and picked her up that's when she somehow found the strength to fight back. With all of her might she kicked, punched, bit and scrammed Riley until he dropped her

"What is you're problem?" He shouted tracing the scram marks on your face. Buffy wiped the tears away and did the only thing she could, run. She ran out of the door and down to the beach, she didn't stop until she was sure that he wasn't following her.

About half hour away from the beach house Buffy fell to her knees sobbing uncontrollably. It was cold and she was in a ripped t shirt miles away from her home. The moonlight shun on the clear blue sea making it sparkle. It was such a beautiful scene but Buffy didn't belong there.

Wiping the tears from her eyes she pulled out her cell phone trying to explore her options calmly in her head. She could call her mother but that would probably lead at a massive lecture and a grounding and a no dating rule until she was 40. Then there was Willow who she hadn't been that close to since she had Xander argued and she took his side so there was really only one more option, well it wasn't really an option, it was either him or walk home

"Hello?" Buffy said into the phone trying to make her voice not sound broken "I...I need you're..." Too late. Buffy broke into a cry as the realization that she could have been raped kicked in "I'm fine... I just need you to pick me up" Buffy looked around her as she was asked a question "I don't know a beach somewhere, gas station?" Buffy tried to remember if there was a gas station on the way here and then she pictures it, it was about a five minuet walk "Yeah, ok. Please hurry" She cried.

The sea sparkled one last time, it was as if although something bad happened there was still hope. Buffy smiled though she still let the tears fall freely down her already mascara smudged face but none of that mattered, she was about to be rescued.

_I'm so so so so so so SORRRY! I know its been ages! R.L is a bitch plus I've dropped out of college and yeah you would have thought it would give me more time to write but sadly no. I've been working my ass off so that's why I haven't updated any of my fics lately and I only updated this because it was so long. The chapter is rushed I have to say but I'm pretty happy with it. I did this to get Riley out of the way and cause drama plus it'll explain some things in the previous chapters. I don't know when I'll update anything next cause my parents are freaking with me because I dropped out of college so they are lecturing me every chance they get, cant wait to move out and I'm going to Ibiza in a few days so I might not be updating till after I come back and then after that I'm off travelling hopefully to Africa for about a month but I'll try to update as soon as I can. Ooh by the way I've got my creative juices flowing again so no more creative blocks whooo. Thank you all for your reviews like I say in every chapter they are great, I enjoy reading them and keep them coming. P.S SORRRY!_


	28. Hearing The Truth

Chapter 28

Angel put his phone back into his pocked at raced to his car. There was something wrong, he could feel it. Without hesitating Angel jumped into his car and jammed the keys into the hole to start the engine up. As soon as everything was up and running he raced out of the driveway with only one thought in his head, Buffy.

She had rung him not long ago sounding frantic, she was trying to hide the sobs but she wasn't doing a very good job. He wondered what she was doing the beach; it was quite a while away from where she lived and in no way walking distance. He also wondered what happened to get her to ring him because lets face it, he wasn't her favourite person.

Angel drove as fast as he could in his hummer without breaking the speed limits but at times he felt like he had no choice but to go a little bit faster. For some reason he felt that she needed him and it wasn't the fact that she rung him in tears, it was a feeling that was beneath his stomach. No. No, it couldn't be love, it just couldn't. He didn't really know the girl that well and besides Spike was loves bitch not him. Angel blocked all the thoughts about love out of h is head and concentrated on getting to the gas station.

Twelve minuets later and several minor road crimes Angel finally pulled up to where he said he would be.

It was really dark by now, so dark that Angel nearly missed Buffy sitting against the wall on the filthy floor. Her blond hair looked as if someone messed it up purposely, she had no shoes on and one of her sleeves were ripped. Angel threw the car door open and ran over to her

"What happened?" He demanded not even caring that he was almost shouting. Buffy looked up at him with mascara smudged eyes scared to answer. She didn't know what to say, it was her fault. He warned her about Riley but did she listen? Did she hell.

"It was... it's nothing" Buffy stuttered scared of Angel's reaction if she told him the truth.

"It doesn't look like nothing" Angel said darkly looking her up at down. The road was practically deserted, so was the gas station. Buffy couldn't look at Angel in case her eyes gave her away. She didn't even know why she rung him and now she wished she'd rung someone else "Buffy" Angel's voice softened, he must have realized how he sounded "You can tell me anything you know that right? Come on, I'm taking you back to my place its too cold to stay here" Angel gently lifted Buffy by her hand, she didn't object, it was cold, it was actually freezing and going back to his house was better then going back to hers.

Angel opened the passenger door for Buffy to get it. As she got in he could see something shine from her feet, she must have stepped on some glass while she was walking around. Her arms were covered in goose bumps and she had a big purple bruise on her arms and what looked like a bite on her neck, a vicious one. Angel walked silently to the other side of his car and got in, starting the engine and turning the radio on

The drive back to Angel's house was silent. Buffy was a bit nervous to see his mother again because last time they met she wasn't very friendly but what she didn't know was that his parents had gone out. Once they got to Angel's house Buffy slowly undid he seat belt, she was about to open the door but Angel got it before her. She gave him a small smile before accepting his help out of the car. They both walked silently to the porch with Buffy trying to avoid Angel trying to catch her eyes.

As soon as they got into the house Angel grabbed her arm gently avoiding pressing down on the bruises, he tilted her chin forcing her to look at him, and then he repeated his question

"What happened Buffy and don't tell me nothing because I can see that something happened?"

Yet again Buffy remained silent. It was her own fault, she went there on her own free will, she must have given him the impression she wanted something more because he wouldn't have attacked her like that if she didn't provoke him

"Buffy please" Angel pleaded "I can't help you if you don't tell me"

Buffy could feel her eyes well up yet again. Angel was being so nice even though she didn't deserve it. She had taken Riley's side against Angel and had even chose Riley over him, how was she supposed to tell him that he attacked her without Angel saying I told you so which she deserved.

"He... he asked me on a date" Buffy said. Angel nodded and sat on the bottom step of the stairs bringing Buffy down to sit next to him "I said yeah, I thought he was a nice guy so he took me to his beach house, it was all going great until he opened a bottle of beer and then I wondered how he was going to drive me home if he was drunk" Angel nodded again as a sign that he was listening so Buffy continued "And then he... he... he told me that I wanted it, that I would enjoy it. I didn't, I tried to push him away but he just..." Buffy sobbed

"Who's he?" Angel asked

Buffy only shook her head getting herself into even more of a state

"I said no, I told him I didn't want to but he didn't listen so I hit him. I didn't want to hurt him but I didn't know what else to do. He said that he knew I wanted it but I didn't Angel, I swear. I didn't want any of it" Buffy sobbed even harder. Angel was now worried that whoever Buffy's attacker was did more then just attack her

"Did he... Did he..." Angel thought for a minuet for a different way to ask the question he wanted to ask without actually asking it "Did he hurt you?"

Buffy nodded then shook her head

"I managed to fight him off before he could... before he..." Buffy couldn't say the words that she wanted to. Angel pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair

"Shhh, it's alright, you're safe now" He whispered. Buffy buried her face deeper into Angel's muscling chest hoping to bury her problems with her face. Angel looked down at the small fragile girl who was sobbing on him and couldn't help but feel angry, not at her but at whoever did this to her. He knew he'd have to find out who it was but he didn't want to push her into telling him when she wasn't ready but on the other hand if he didn't push then maybe she would never tell him "Buffy please, I need to know who did this"

Buffy managed to pull herself away from Angel's warm, safe chest to look into his deep, caring eyes. His eyes were what told her that she could tell him, that he wouldn't blame her, that he would comfort her no matter what

"Riley" She whispered. In one instant all that she thought went away as soon as he got up and punched the wall with all of his strength. Buffy flinched as she watched his fist smash against the brick "I'm sorry" Buffy sobbed

Angel turned to look at Buffy and instantly regretted his actions. Now she thought he was mad at her but that wasn't the case, he was actually mad at himself. He knew what Riley was capable of, he knew what Riley could do after all it was Riley's fault that Kathy was the way she was.

"No, you have nothing to be sorry about Buffy, nothing. I'm the one who should be sorry" Angel sighed

"Wha...What do you mean?" Buffy asked. Angel sighed once again, it was too late to back down now, he would have to tell Buffy the truth

"About two years ago Kathy started dating Riley, they weren't with each other long but one day she rung me hysterical. I never liked the fact that they were dating I mean for one he is way to old for her but she didn't listen to me, I was just her older brother at the time so when I got the phone call I rushed to were she was."

Buffy listened intensely, she knew where the story was going but hoped she was wrong

"When I picked her up she was black and blue, she looked as if she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. I asked her what happened but didn't get an answer out of her till a few days later; she told me that Riley had tried to rape her" Angel confessed

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Like the police or someone?" Buffy asked

"I was trying to protect her, I still am"

Buffy got up from the stairs outraged

"Protect her? How are you protecting her?" She shouted

"You have to understand Buffy that if we went to the police then it would be all over the news. My father owns a big Law Firm, he and my mother are in the spotlight quite a bit, the last thing Kathy needs is people questioning her. She just wants to move on with her life now"

"Angel she needs to talk to someone, last time I was here she tried to kill her self for god's sake, I don't think she can move on" Buffy told him. She could understand where Angel was coming from, she didn't want to tell anyone either but Kathy did need to talk about it

"She can talk to me" Angel said

"Wait. That's why you slept with Riley's girlfriend, to get back at him?"

"Well that and hitting him a few times" Angel shrugged. Buffy shook her head, typical men.

"And what, everything sorted? A bloody nose and sex with his girlfriend for trying to rape your sister?"

"of course not! If it wasn't for Kathy I would have killed him, I nearly did but she needs me, I can't let me temper get the better of me"

"No, I'm not saying you should have hurt him even more, I don't believe in violence but surely he apologised to her" Buffy asked more for herself really. She was the one that wanted the apology from her although she wasn't sure if she could face him

"Yeah and that makes it ok. A quick sorry and everything forgotten about, no. My way's better" Angel said honestly

"Yeah because beating him till he's black and blue really works" Buffy nodded sarcastically

"You wouldn't understand"

"Wouldn't I?" Buffy shouted "I nearly got raped today so don't you dare tell me I wouldn't understand because I'm one of the only people that do. If you told me what Riley nearly did to Kathy then I wouldn't be in this position!"

"Yeah and I'm sorry about that but protecting my sister is my first priority"

"No matter who gets hurt?" Buffy put her hands on her hips waiting for Angel's answer

"My sister is my main priority" He muttered. Buffy shook her head, she couldn't believe it. She admired how protective he was but he still should have told her "Look I'm sorry"

"Not as sorry as me" Buffy said as she walked towards the door. Before she could get any further Angel pulled her back

"Where are you going?" He asked

"Home" Buffy tried to get free from his grip but failed. He looked at her with such intensity that she couldn't help but stare back. Anyone else would be scared especially if they had just gone through what she had but she trusted Angel even though he could be a complete ass at times. Angel pulled her in close like a magnet drawing metal in until she was close enough to feel his heart beat. It was steady, calm, not like hers which was beating rapidly "Angel" She whispered trying to get away but she couldn't move, she didn't want to move. Her mind was screaming at her, everything about this was wrong but her heart was taking over

Angel could feel Buffy's rapid heart beat against his chest and couldn't help but smile at the effect he had on her. He knew what she had been through tonight and didn't want to take advantage of the situation but when she leaned in close to his lips he knew that she wanted this as much as he did, maybe more so he obliged.

Buffy wrapped her small bruised arms around Angels neck as Angel pulled her closer by her hips. He entered her mouth with his tongue slowly, so unlike Riley who practically forced himself between her lips. They stood in the middle of the hallway in a heavy make out session for a few minuets before Buffy slammed Angel into the wall. Angel was a bit surprised by this but didn't argue

* * *

_A/N: I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter. I was reading the reviews and I actually thought about having Spike pick Buffy up but then it would have ruin the whole flow of the chapter and Angel confessing why he doesn't like Riley and that and besides this way you get more Buffy and Angel action. So hope you like and thanks yooou. _


	29. I just want to scream and lose control

Chapter 29

Sun quickly claimed the grey sky as the moon slowly started to descend. Only in the mornings when the sun raised and evenings when it sit you could see this sight, the moon and sun out at once. Many of Sunnydale's residents would get up especially early to see this sight but not Buffy, she never wanted to the sun raise again.

It was Monday morning, two days after her attack, two days after her rescue. Many people would think she didn't want to get up because she didn't want to have to face Riley but that wasn't the case. Facing Riley would be like a trip to the park compared to facing Angel. He had confided so much in her that Saturday night as did she. Some would say too much but none of it could be taken back now she would just have to face him with her head held high or maybe there was a possibility that she could blame her sudden outburst on the fact that she was confused and distraught, either way though she would have to talk to him.

Buffy got up from bed not even bothering to make an effort for school, she didn't care no more. It took her only quarter of an hour to get ready and tie her hair back. Her face was make-up free but still with no blemishes or any sign of imperfectness.

The drive to school was an oddly quite one. Dawn sat in the middle backseat popping her head into the gap where the two front seats were separate from trying to provoke Buffy into arguing with her but every time she said something that would normally make Buffy's voice rise she only got a mumble from her. Joyce was just glad that Buffy wasn't retaliating although she knew something was wrong with her oldest daughter she wasn't about to spoil the rare peaceful car ride just yet, she would ask her when she got home from school.

Joyce pulled up in front of the school, gave both girls a kiss on the cheek and waved them goodbye before driving off to the small gallery she struggled to keep. Before Buffy had the chance to talk to her sister she ran off into another direction leaving Buffy on her own. Inside the school people walked around half asleep, probably still haven't recovered from the crazy weekend they had. Buffy kept her head low pulling the sleeves on her sweater to make sure people couldn't see the purple bruises on her wrists.

School had already started by the time Buffy got to home room. Sitting on they're usual desks were Xander and Willow. Willow gave Buffy a small smile but Xander didn't even look at her, instead he acted like he didn't know her so she walked over to the empty seat besides the window.

Outside of the school people were running not to be late for registration. Some didn't care and others weren't even planning to turn up, all this Buffy saw from the glass window. There was no sign of her savior yet or her attacker which was a big relief.

Buffy closed her eyes and took a deep breath; the sound of Cordelia chatting away was making her head hurt. She tried hard not to listen into the conversation but when she heard that name that made her heart skip a beat she couldn't help it.

"I don't know what's going on with him, one minuet he's all over me and the next its like he doesn't want to know" Cordelia moaned to Harmony who held the brunettes hand like you would if a loved one was in hospital "I just don't get him Harm, what does he want from me?"

Anya, who was sitting on the other side of Cordelia, bit her lip to stop the words she desperately wanted to say from escaping her mouth. Anya was never a big fan of Angel's, mainly because she could see through the charming smile and the sweet words. He was a man and that was reason enough not to trust him.

"Maybe it's his time of the month?" Harmony suggested

Both Cordelia and Anya raised their brows at her

"Guys don't have period's Harm" Cordelia told her. Anya was still looking at Harmony wide eyed. Yes she knew her blonde friend could be a bit slow at times but surely she wasn't that stupid.

"Sure they do" Harmony was more then ready to argue her case so the two other girls just nodded slowly letting her think what ever she wanted to.

"Anyway can we get back to my crisis now" Cordelia insisted with a flick of her long chocolate hair.

"Typical" Anya muttered not as quite as she thought. Cordelia swung her head to face the less bitchy girl

"Excuse me!"

"I was talking to myself"

Cordelia turned back to Harmony and carried on her rant as if no one interrupted her. Anya just shook her head and wondered why she was friends with the people she was with.

Buffy didn't know whether to smile or feel guilty after she finished listening in too the not so private conversation the "popular" people were having. She didn't understand the meaning of popularity. Yeah, sure people wanted to be Cordelia but no one actually liked her but they worshipped her like she was some sort of god or something, well in Sunnydale High she probably was a god.

The bell rang loudly, giving all the students their signal to leave the room. The sound of chairs sliding on the wooden floor could be heard and rustling on papers being shoved back in bags.

"Buffy, the principle would like to see you"

Buffy looked at Miss Calendar and nodded, it was no surprise really, he probably just wanted to blame her for something she didn't do.

"If you'd like to take a seat Ms Summer's and Principle Snyder will be with you as soon as he can" The secretary told Buffy with a sympathetic smile as soon as she walked in. Buffy, in return smiled politely at the secretary. She didn't have a problem with the young woman behind the desk after all, it was clear that none of the other members of staff liked Principle Snyder. No one really knew why he was still Principle but there were rumors about him being related to the mayor of Sunnydale who was a complete quack so that explained it all.

"Summers!" Came a loud screech from behind the door with the gold plate that read Principle. He really thought he was something. Buffy slowly turned the handle, preparing herself for a lot of ear ache and she wasn't disappointed "Sit!"

Buffy did as she was told and sat in the same seat as she always did

"I've just spoken to your history and she's informed that your grades haven't changed"

Buffy closed her mouth to stop a laugh escaping her lips. This was what this was about? It had only been a few days since Snyder had appointed King Angel as her tutor, how could she possibly improve in such a short amount of time

"Well in all fairness you haven't given me much time"

"Nonsense. Angel O'Neil has given up so much of his time for you, the least you could do is start improving but no, you can't even do that. You are an utter waste of space and let me tell you now Buffy Summer's your days at Sunnydale High are numbered. I've got my eye on you, never forget that"

"Are you finished?" Buffy asked with her brow raised.

Snyder nodded and gestured to the door. In one big huff Buffy lifted herself from the chair and walked out of the office and to her class.

Peeking through the glass part of the door to her history class Buffy saw him sitting at the front with no care in the world. She knocked on the wood and entered politely, apologizing for her tardiness. As she walked past he gave her a wide smile making her stomach turn. How dare he. How dare he act like nothing happened, like he hadn't lured some young girl into his beach hut in the middle of no-where. It was when Buffy passed him that she noticed the purple bruise on his eye, how she didn't notice before she didn't know because it wasn't as if it was barely visible.

"Buffy the quicker you take a seat..."

"Sorry miss" Buffy apologized only then realizing that she had stopped by Riley to gape at him.

Buffy took her seat at the back of the class, out of the way from everyone else well that's what she thought until she felt two eyes starring at her. She glanced to the side to see who was burning holes into the side of her head, Angel. It was no wonder she didn't already know, of course it was him, no one else would spare a look at her. Buffy shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'what'. Angel shook his head then went back to looking at the front.

Buffy put her head onto the table in front of her and moments later the bell sounded, or what felt like moments had actually been a whole history lesson.

On her way out she was stopped by Riley. Buffy looked around hoping that Angel would help her but he must have gone already because he was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey can I talk to you a minuet?" Riley asked gently

Buffy stood still; she didn't know what to say so Riley took the silence as his cue to talk.

"I think you got Saturday all wrong"

Buffy's eyes flicked up from the floor to Riley's face. She clenched her fists hard trying not to loose her temper

"What, so you didn't drive me out to the middle of no-where to have sex with me? And when I refused you didn't try to force me?" Buffy pulled her sleeves up and held up her arms for Riley to see "You didn't put these bruises on me?"

It was Riley's turn to look at the floor as he saw the anger in Buffy's eyes

"So tell me Riley who's got Saturday wrong?"

There was silence for a minuet. Neither spoke. Buffy eyes flared with anger as she looked at Riley who had now raised his head to look back at her. Buffy couldn't help what came next, it was like a twitch. Her hand slapped Riley hard across the face. Riley retaliated by grapping her throat hard enough to leave a mark

"You fucking slut" He roared angry "You came with me to that house so go on tell people what you want, who do you think they'll believe though? Little Buffy Summer's who's desperate for a bit of popularity or Riley Finn who can have anyone he wants. Why would I have to rape someone? Ask yourself that Buffy"

Buffy struggled for breath as his hands tightened around her neck

"Well you ... tried to rape Kathy O'Neil" Buffy managed to choke out. Riley loosened his grip before walking away like nothing had happened leaving Buffy to massage her sore neck

* * *

_A/N: I am terrible, I know. It's been so long and I'm really sorry. I meant to get this up sooner, I really did but then I wanted to get a chapter out before Christmas and I realized I wouldn't be able to write another chapter just before Christmas so I held on a bit. I have such a busy month so don't know when the next update will be, hopefully sooner then I expect because it is getting interesting. Thank you for your reviews and I know it's not clear what happened between Buffy and Angel in the last chapter but just wait and I will clear it up in the chapters to come. _

_Merry Christmas hope you all have a wonderful one. _


	30. Inocent girl

Chapter 30

People wandered the long halls but no one came to Buffy's rescue. No one even noticed, they were too wrapped up in their own troubles. It was high school, everyone had troubles, some worse then others some didn't even have any worry's, they were the lucky ones.

Buffy stood with her back against the hallway wall rubbing her sore neck, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall. She wasn't scared of Riley Finn; she was scared of what he had said. Maybe she did want it, maybe it was all her fault, Maybe. Truth be told she did want popularity, who didn't? But not at the cost of losing something so precious, something she was saving for her one true love, well if he ever existed.

"Hey you alright?"

Letting go of her throat and looking up Buffy saw Faith, the girl that she had the odd chat with in the toilets.

"Five by five" Buffy smiled, so did Faith at the use of her words

"I'm not stupid, come on you can tell me all about it" Faith grabbed Buffy's arm and led her out of the nearest fire escape door

"Where are we going?" Buffy asked trying to go back but Faith wasn't about to let go

"Your worry too much B, just relax and take things as they come"

"I am taking things as they come" Buffy pointed out as they walked out of the school grounds.

They got to the nearest park and Faith set her bag down on one of the benches, opening the zip and pulling out a half cut of vodka. Buffy looked at her watch, it was still early, not even the afternoon yet

"Why don't you tell me what's going on it that pretty little head of yours then" Faith asked pouring the clear liquid into the bottle cap and throwing it down her throat. Her face scrunched up as it fell into her mouth but only for a slight second indicating that she had done it a lot.

"Angel" Buffy sighed, watching Faith in amazement as she poured herself another cap full

"I'm going to give you some advice and if I was you I would take it. Get out while you still can. That guy, he won't stop until he gets what he wants and if you're on his radar B then go, avoid him, stop talking to him, whatever. Your such a nice girl and he'll take that away from you. At first he'll be lovely and then after awhile he'll want something that you might not be ready to give and then he makes you feel bad and you give him what he wants and then he gets all distant, you think its something that you've done so you let him do what he wants, you let him come back for the odd rump and finally he throws you away like a used tissue"

"No, he's not like that"

"Isn't he?" Faith stopped pouring the vodka into the cap and just drank it out of the bottle "That's what he did to me and so many others"

"He's..." Buffy stopped unsure of what he was. Faith was right on some level but on another she was wrong. It was like he was two people, one that Faith described and another the complete opposite. She had met both sides to him and even though his cockier side had annoyed her it attracted her even more "It's different with us"

"Yeah, at first it is but the ending, their all the same"

Buffy knew she couldn't say anymore to convince Faith and she didn't even know why she was trying to, it wasn't like they were friends. Faith was fucked up, yeah it sounded mean but it was the truth. Turning her back she walked out of the park and back to school without even saying goodbye.

XoX

Back in Sunnydale High Angel sat at the usual table with the usual people. To his left sat Cordelia Chase who was showing off her new designer top that had been made especially for her. For some reason Angel just couldn't bring himself to care, all he wanted to do was find the petite blond girl that he had been thinking about all day.

"She just came in with her bags packed and I was like what are you doing here?'Cause you all know I kicked her off didn't I, so there she was with all of her cheerleading stuff. It was really pathetic; I had to stop myself from laughing at her" Cordelia said as the other girls on the table nodded their heads like bobbing dogs on the back of cars

"The nerve on some people, so you guys coming to the bronze tonight? I heard there's a great band meant to be playing or something?"

"Great band? In this town? Yeah whatever" Cordelia turned to Angel and nudged him out of his thoughts

"Huh?" He asked dazed. Gunn sniggered at the look on Cordelia's face who had just clocked on that he hadn't been listening to anything she said

"What's the point?" She hissed

"Point in what baby?" Angel asked. The rest of the group had their faces down, knowing that they were about to witness another Cordelia rant

"Point in us! You don't even listen to me"

"I'm listening now aren't I?"

"God, I am so sick of this, why do I even put up with you. If you don't want to be with me then just tell me" Cordelia stood up kicking the chair before storming out with a smile on her face, she knew Angel too well so she knew his next move.

Angel sighed then got up to follow the brunette out of the cafeteria.

"Cordy, wait" Angel shouted from the other side of the corridor

"For what? You? I've been waiting too long" Cordelia shouted back.

Angel quickened his pace and on his way he saw Cordelia barge Buffy. Buffy looked into Angel's eyes. That's all he wanted to do was stop and hold her but did the reasonable thing: ignore Buffy, yeah 'cause that's reasonable.

Buffy only saw Angel's face for a minuet before seeing the back of his shoulders. He completely blanked her, even after what happened yesterday. He ignored her.

"Cordy, please" Angel shouted once again, cursing himself. He looked back to see the sadness in Buffy's eyes, so did Cordelia.

Cordelia came to a dangerous stop, scraping her four inch heel on the floor as she did so. Angel wanted an innocent girl that he could make better; well she was going to give him one of them.

"We need to talk" Angel announced

"Yeah, we do" Cordelia agreed

"Well the thing is...." Angel paused not knowing how to carry on or how Cordelia was going to react. One thing he did know was that she was going to pissed, or was she?

"I know. I'm fine with it, honestly I am. I know things haven't been working out, how can you be with me when you like someone else? I think we should break up then you can ask Buffy to come sit at our table and we call all get along" Cordelia smiled leaving Angel speechless, he really wasn't expecting this

"What?" Angel chocked out

"Come on" Cordelia called walking back to the cafeteria.

XoX

Everyone sat around the table in awkwardness. They really didn't know what was going on. Angel and Cordelia had split up and she was sitting next to him smiling and the other side to him was Buffy Summers, the girl he had been flirting like hell with.

"Are you really fine with this?" Harmony whispered in Cordelia's ear, she herself was still in shock.

"Excuse us a minuet" Cordelia took Harmony's hand and took her somewhere far enough that no one would hear them talking "What do you think" Cordelia whispered back keeping a smile on her face. Harmony just shrugged, she didn't have a clue "No, I'm not fine with it Harm, I hate the bitch. Does she really thing I'm going to stand aside and let her have my man? Ohh she is so naive"

"Why are you ..."

"Because" She interrupted "Angel wants a victim. Someone who gets pushed around like Buffy Summer's for example, I'm going to become a victim and you're going to help me"

"How?" Harmony asked giggling

"I need you to become her best friend" Cordelia smirked

XoX

Xander carefully carried his tray over to where Willow was sitting, being sure he avoided Buffy who was for some reason sitting on the same table as Cordelia Chase. Even though he still wasn't talking to her he still felt like he should do something, she was asking for trouble sitting there especially so close to Angel O'Neil. Buffy was playing with fire and she was definitely going to get burnt.

"Have you spoken to Buffy lately?" Xander asked setting his tray down.

Willow stopped scribbling on the piece of paper and felt bad. No, she hadn't spoken to Buffy, she had completely forgotten about her other best friend.

"Well....We've been.... well..." Willow babbled "Why?"

"Look whose she's sitting with" Xander nudged his head over to the 'main' tables direction. Willow frowned.

"It has nothing to do with us, Buffy can be friends with whoever she wants" Willow paused before she continued, wondering slightly if she should "Xander, why don't you just make up with her, I mean it's obvious you still care for her and...."

"No" Xander simply said without blinking

"But..."

"I said no Will, cant you just leave it"

"She's our best friend though" Willow pleaded with Xander to see sense and just let it go but he could be so stubborn sometimes

"She was our best friend. She's made her choice; she'd rather be with them then us. The Buffy that I knew would never go behind my back and lie to me"

"She didn't lie to you and she only went because I begged her too so it's my fault really"

Xander didn't look Willow in the eye. He knew whose fault it was and it was neither of the girl's fault although he was blaming Buffy, he really wanted to blame Angel but he couldn't, not without someone telling him he was being unreasonable and that he should just forget this whole thing with him but he couldn't, they didn't understand that.

"Look, she's chosen her side now can we just forget about her" Xander said poking a fork into the lunch ladies newest surprise recipes

"There are no sides and if there were she's only gone there because her so called friend wants nothing to do with her because of something that wasn't even her fault"

"Why are we still talking about this? I thought I said I didn't want to talk about this anymore. I did, didn't I? Ok then end of conversation. So what are you doing later?" Xander smiled

"Homework, you?" Willow sighed

"Well if you don't mind I could come over and help you with that homework"

Willow smiled

"You help me?" She chuckled "Of course I don't mind"

Before the two of them left the cafeteria both of them gave once last glance at Buffy. The sadness in her emerald eyes were unmistakable but no one around her seemed to care so she kept smiling and laughing. Xander looked quickly around the table, his eyes stopped at Cordelia who had a sly grin on her face that matched Harmony's.

* * *

_A/N: Well I updated sooner then I expected. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and new year, I know I did. Thank you for your reviews, they are so nice. Thing are going to get a lot more interesting as you might be able to tell. Hopefully I won't keep you waiting for long. The fic isn't even nearly finished yet, still have a lot more stuff going on. _


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